D 


/v:  LAWYER 


*';&a«rt«s^W.V^*!BI¥£-:*S?SI«ii-/i6f«iffl»tSa!r,- 


FOILED 


BY 


A    LA^VYER. 


A   STORY    OF   CHICAGO. 


CHICAGO: 

CLARK  &  LOXGLEV,  PRINTERS. 

18S5. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1885,  by 

KOBERT  H.  COWDREY, 
In  the  OflSce  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 

All  rights  reser\ted. 


CONTENTS. 


I. 

Arthur  Gains  his  first  Victory — 9 

II. 
Bertha's  Oath  of  Allegiance 18 

III. 
The  Beginning  of  the  End 37 

IV. 
Mrs.  Graham  Reveals  her  Plans 43 

V. 
Aye,  that's  the  Key  that  Unlocks  the  Mystery -     55 

VI. 
You  have  Poisoned  him 72 

VII. 
A  villain  for  a  Lawyer  and  a  willing  Client 92 

VIII. 
Your  Daughter's  Attorney,  I  believe 110 

IX. 
Diamond  Cuts  Diamond ---  137 

X. 
There  is  no  Neutral  Ground 143 


VI  «.  CONTENTS. 

XI. 
A  bitter  and  relentless  warfare -  —  162 

XII. 
She  is  a  woman — I  can  do  nothing 175 

XIII. 
Routed  and  Dismayed 185 

XIV. 
My  husband  was  a  miser 198 

XV. 
I  am  cornered  and  at  bay 216 

XVI. 
Greek  meets  Greek 226 

XVII. 
A  bold  scheme  of  robbery 238 

XVIII. 
The  lie  did  its  work  well 261 

XIX. 
Far  from  being  worldly  wise 278 

XX. 
Hell  hath  no  fury  like  a  woman  scorned 295 

XXI. 
What  is  the  law  good  for 308 

XXII. 
Then  you  must  take  the  consequences 320 

XXIII. 
Foiled 328 


PEEFACE. 


"Were  the  author  to  use  the  exact  words  of  the  now 
lamented  Victor  Hugo,  when  in  a^ private  letter  referring 
to  ''Les  Miserables,"  he  wrote:  ''My  book  was  written 
to  clear  up  and  combat  prejudices  in  France,  England, 
and  the  whole  world,"  he  could  not  more  clearly  express 
his  own  object  in  presenting  "Foiled." 

The  foremost  character  is  the  plausible  and  unscru- 
pulous Mrs.  Graham,  who  by  reason  of  her  excellent  judg- 
ment of  human  nature  and  quick  perception  of  weak  points 
in  others,  makes  use  of  every  advantage  thus  gained  to 
crush  and  ^lumiliate  the  mild  and  gentle  Edith,  who 
finds  that  among  all  her  relatives  and  friends,  Mrs. 
Wallingford  is  the  only  one  who  does  not  desert  her  to 
aid  Mrs.  Graham.  She  fathoms  the  mysterious  charm 
that  protects  Mrs.  Graham,  and  renders  Edith  much 
valuable  aid.  Even  Arthur  is  for  a  time  completely  under 
Mrs.  Graham's  influence,  but  at  last,  almost  by  accident, 
her  true  character  is  revealed  to  him,  he  then  turns  upon 


Viii  PREFACE. 

her,  aud  by  means  of  the  law,  by  which  Mrs.  Graham 
has  so  cruelly  oppressed  Edith,  he  causes  her  complete 
overthrow. 

The  faithless  friends  and  Mr.  Skinner,  the  wily,  unscru- 
pulous lawyer,  all  lend  their  aid  to  Mrs.  Graham  in  her 
efforts  to  oppress  and  rob  Edith,  while  many  otherwise 
innocent  persons,  by  their  willing  belief  of  all  that  Mrs. 
Graham  says  are  caused  to  aid  her,  and  desert  the  object 
of  her  hatred. 

Of  the  fidelity  to  nature  with  which  the  author  has 
drawn  the  characters,  tlje  reader  must  be  the  judge.  The 
picture  has  been  painted  and  the  author  steps  back  to 
allow  his  readers  to  judge  of  the  character  of  his  work. 

If  their  decision  be  that  it  fails  in  all  except  that  it 
will  cause  them  to  remember  that  "no  just  judge  pro- 
nounces a  verdict  without  first  hearing  both  sides,"  and 
they  be  induced  thereby  to  more  closely  follow  this  course, 
he  will  be  content,  for  it  will  have  accomplished  the 
aim  and  object  of  the 

^UTHOK. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AKTHUR    GAINS    HIS    FIRST   VICTORY. 

"  Father,  will  you  send  me  to  college  ?' 

Mr.  Howard  sat  before  the  glowing  grate,  iu  the  com- 
fortable sitting  room  of  his  residence,  reading  the  evening 
paper.  His  wife  and  two  daughters,  engaged  with  their 
sewing  and  fancy  work,  were  sitting  in  a  little  circle  by 
themselves. 

Arthur,  the  only  son,  and  pride  of  his  mother's  heart, 
had  just  entered  his  nineteenth  year,  and  though  full  of 
the  enthusiasm  of  youth,  yet  he  always  treated  his  mother 
and  sisters  with  the  respect  and  attention  of  a  true  knight. 
With  a  high  sense  of  honor,  which  was  largely  due  to  the 
wise  counsel  of  his  mother,  he  often  displayed  a  knowledge 
of  true  politeness  that,  had  it  not  seemed  intuitive  with 
him,  would  have  appeared  to  be  far  in  advance  of  his  years. 
In  other  respects  Arthur  Howard  was  not  difEerent  from 
his  schoolmates. 

Fondly  he  had  cherished  the  hope  that  some  day  he 
might  enter  college  ;  these  hopes  he  had  confided  to  his 
mother,  meeting  with  her  hearty  approval  and  help.  Be- 
tween them  it  had  been  decided  that  he  should,  on  this 
evening,  mention  his  plans  to  his  father  and  ask  his  con- 

9 


10  FOILED. 

sent.  He  had  taken  a  position  facing  him,  and  with  one 
arm  resting  upon  the  mantel,  was  watching  the  effect  of 
his  words. 

His  mother,  seemingly  busied  with  her  work,  eagerly 
awaited  the  reply  that  would  blast  forever  the  most  cher- 
ished hopes  of  her  dear  boy,  or  ripen  them  into  their  full 
fruition. 

Slowly  the  old  gentleman  lowered  his  paper,  and  looking 
at  his  son,  said  : 

"  So  you  want  to  go  to  college,  do  you?  And  what,  pray, 
has  put  that  notion  into  your  head  ?  Are  you  not  content 
to  begin  as  your  father  did ;  or  do  you  think  that  you 
must  go  to  college  in  order  to  ftecome  a  gentleman,  and  be 
one  of  the  drinking,  smoking,  and  gambling  set  that  learn 
all  the  fashionable  vices,  and  forget  what  little  education 
is  given  them  in  our  public  schools  ?  I  dare  say  that  you 
want  to  become  educated  because  you  believe  that  only 
gentlemen  of  this  kind  enter  the  higher  walks  of  life  :  to 
be  educated  that  you  may  look  upon  honest  labor  as  a  dis- 
grace; and  finally  return  home  to  be  supported  in  idleness 
while  you  improve  your  time  in  perfecting  the  vices  thus 
learned.  To  college  ?  No  !  I  would  much  rather  see  you 
enter  the  machine  shop,  or  any  other  home  of  honest 
labor,  and  there  improve  your  mind  while  strengthening 
your  body.  Thcvbest  citizens,  the  most  successful  business 
men,  the  men  of  wealth  to-day,  are  those  who  have  risen 
from  the  ranks  of  labor,  with  bodies  strong  enough  to  bear 
the  strain  and  worry  of  business  cares.  In  this  country 
we  acknowledge  and  respect  this  class  of  men.  They  are 
tlie  ones  to  pattern  after  ;   take  their  course,  and  if  man- 


FOILED.  11 

hood  is  desired  by  you,  follow  them.  The  noted  forgers, 
the  embezzlers,  and  the  men  who  make  commercial  honor  a 
rarity,  are  not  recruited  from  this  class." 

Arthur  listened  anxiously,  trusting  that  he  might  find 
some  slight  encouragement  to  hope  for  aid  ;  but  when  his 
father  finished  speaking,  he  saw  there  was  but  little  hope 
of  his  plans  finding  favor  in  his  eyes.  But  his  heart 
had  been  so  long  set  upon  going  to  college,  that,  with  all 
the  discouraging  words  his  father  had  spoken,  he  found  it 
hard  to  believe  that  his  cause  was  hojieless  ;  and  so,  in  a 
voice  from  which  all  the  boyish  enthusiasm  had  gone,  he 
said  : 

"  But,  father,  I  would  study  so  hard,  and  try  to  avoid 
the  vices,  if  you  would  only  let  me  go. " 

"  You  have  my  answer,"  replied  Mr.  Howard,  decisively, 
"  and  it  is  no  longer  necessary  to  parley  over  it.  Never, 
by  my  consent  or  aid,  shall  a  son  of  mine  enter  college." 

Arthur  could  no  longer  remain  in  doubt.  He  now  saw 
his  cherished  hopes  crushed  at  one  fell  blow,  and  that  his 
motives  had  been  most  sadly  misjudged.  He  felt  the  cruel 
injustice  of  his  father's  words;  his  pride  and  self-respect 
rebelled  ;  and,  as  he  stood  before  his  father,  his  lips  quiv- 
ering with  the  intensity  of  his  feelings,  he  said  : 

"If  I  cannot  go  with  your  aid,  I  will  go  without  it; 
and  I  will  prove  to  you  that  at  least  one  boy  can  enter  col- 
lege and  still  retain  his  manhood. "  Then,  turning  toward 
his  mother,  and  seeing  tears  glistening  in  her  eyes,  his  over- 
wrought feelings  gained  the  mastery,  and  dashing  up  to 
his  room  he  gave  way  to  a  flood  of  passionate  tears.  Within 
him  his  emotions  swayed  and  bent  his  form,  as  does  the 


12  FOILED. 

mountain  storm  the  younger  trees  of  the  forest,  only  to 
find  them  the  deeper  rooted  at  its  next  attack.  So  Arthur, 
after  the  first  outburst,  found  himself  calm  and  calculat- 
ing ;  the  schoolboy  had  given  way  to  the  resistless  approach 
of  manhood. 

The  boy  of  to-day  is  the  young  man  of  to-morrow  ;  nor 
does  this  change  always  take  place  by  slow  degrees.  Some 
casual  event  may  start  the  backward  child  into  full  and 
vigorous  youth. 

This  change  had  taken  place  in  Arthur.  The  words 
uttered  by  his  father  had  started  him  from  the  timid  boy, 
who  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  leaving  home  and  going 
out  in  the  world  to  meet  the  strange  faces  and  ways  of  his 
college  associates,  to  tlie  young  man  who  stood  before  his 
father  and  declared  his  purpose  to  aid  himself.  The  things 
that  had  troubled  him  before,  he  now  swept  aside  like  the 
shadows  that  they  were,  and  turned  boldly  to  the  sterner 
work  before  him.  But  this  work  was  not  so  easily  dis- 
posed of ;  and  realizing  this,  he  roused  himself,  almost  in 
anger  at  his  tears,  and  deliberately  surveyed  the  course  he 
had  marked  out.  Gradually  he  felt  his  spirits  revive. 
Every  move  and  thought  was  now  bent  upon  one  aim — 
success.  How  could  it  be  accomplished  ?  He  thought  of 
many  plans  that  might  help  him,  but,  one  after  another, 
they  were  all  cast  aside.  At  last  he  remembered  that  he 
had  often  heard  his  father  speak  of  Mr.  Reynolds  and  his 
wonderful  success  in  the  large  commercial  interests  in 
which  he  was  engaged  in  the  great  city  of  Chicago.  "  He  is 
a  firm  friend  of  father's,"  thought  Arthur,  ''and  if  I  could 
only  enter  his  store  I  would  at  least  be  on  the  road  to 
success." 


FOILED.  13 

With  Arthur,  to  think  was  to  act ;  his  impulsive  nature 
did  not  admit  of  his  doing  otherwise  ;  and  as  this  plan 
seemed  full  of  promise,  he  at  once  drew  his  writing  desk 
upon  his  knee,  and  wrote  a  plain,  boyish  letter,  in  which 
he  stated  his  desire  to  attend  college,  and,  as  his  father  de- 
clined to  assist  him,  that  he  must  find  employment  by 
which  he  could  pay  his  expenses,  and  desired  to  know  if  he 
could  be  given  a  position  in  his  store,  with  the  privilege  of 
study  and  recitation  at  the  college. 

As  he  finished  writing,  he  heard  a  knock  at  his  door ; 
and  well  knowing  it  to  be  his  mother,  whose  sympathies  he 
knew  were  with  him,  he  welcomed  her  in  and  laid  before 
her  his  plans,  asking  her  advice.  She,  poor  mother,  know- 
ing better  how  to  smooth  care  away  by  caresses  than  by 
giving  advice  on  matters  like  these,  could  only  say:  "I 
hope  you  will  be  successful." 

Mr.  Howard  found  it  no  easy  matter  to  forget  his  con- 
versation with  Arthur.  He  had  not  foreseen  the  effect  that 
his  words  and  manner  would  have  upon  him.  He  supposed 
that  it,  like  many  another  notion,  would  soon  be  forgotten 
when  once  he  had  said  no.  But  Arthur^s  words  had  left 
their  impression,  and  he  now  felt  that  he  had  been  need- 
lessly harsh  in  his  reply. 

So,  when  Arthur  again  entered  the  room,  Mr  Howard 
called  him  to  his  side,  and  then,  seeing  the  letter  in  his 
hand,  asked  :    "  To  whom  have  you  been  writing  ?" 

In  reply,  Arthur  simply  handed  him  the  letter,  making 
no  further  answer. 

It  was  Mr.  Howard's  intention  to  simply  open  the  con- 
versation in  this  way,  and  then  pour  a  little  balm  upon  the 


14  FOILED. 

wounded  spirits  of  his  son ;  but  when  he  saw  the  address 
on  Arthur's  letter,  he  forgot  his  former  intention  in  his 
anxiety  to  know  what  the  sending  of  the  letter  meant,  and 
looking  up  at  Arthur,  he  asked  : 

^'  May  I  see  what  you  have  written  ?" 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Arthur,  leaning  forward  and  break- 
ing the  seal. 

Mr.  Howard's  expression  changed  from  one  of  curiosity 
to  one  of  juizzled  concern  as  he  read  the  letter  ;  and  then, 
having  finished  reading  it,  said  : 

"Arthur,  do  you  know  that  I  am  very  much  inclined  to 
endorse  this  letter  with  my  approval  ?  When  you  spoke  to 
me  of  going  to  college,  I  had  in  mind  the  average  young 
man  of  to-day,  whose  sole  aim  is  to  have  a  good  time,  live 
fast,  and  come  home  with  by  no  means  the  proper  educa- 
tion to  fit  him  for  the  stern  realities  of  life.  I  now  find 
that  your  aim  is  different ;  and  in  so  far  as  it  is,  you  have 
my  best  wishes.  Any  young  man  who  enters  college  with 
the  purpose  of  gaining  knowledge  to  be  used  and  appreci- 
ated as  it  must  be  by  one  who  works  his  way  through,  will 
be  able  to  take  care  of  himself  afterward,  and,  good  health 
permitting,  will  make  his  mark  among  men." 

Mr.  Howard  then  wrote  under  Arthur's  signature — 

"I  am  in  full  sympathy  with  Arthur's  plan.  Any  op- 
portunity given  him  in  furtherance  of  it  will  be  appreciated 
by  yours.  Very  truly,  Gilbert  Howard." 

Arthur  then  sealed  his  letter  and  mailed  it. 

Of  this  scene  Mrs.  Howard  had  not  been  an  uninterested 
spectator,  and  willingly  listened  as  her  husband  turned 
toward  her  and  said  : 

"  I  was  completely  dumfounded  when  Arthur  declared 


FOILED.  15 

he  would  go.  He  has  it  in  him  to  make  a  successful  man. 
Courage  is  on  all  hands  recognized  as  an  essential  of  high 
character  ;  and  I  have  noticed  with  pleasure  that  Arthur 
is  always  able  to  say  no,  and  stand  by  it,  when  he  believes 
he  is  right.  No  great  genius  was  ever  without  some  mix- 
ture of  madness,  nor  can  anything  grand  or  superior  to 
the  voice  of  common  mortals  be  spoken  except  by  the 
agitated  soul ;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  Arthur  was  con- 
siderably agitated  when  he  said  — '  I  will  prove  to  you 
that  at  least  one  boy  can  enter  college  and  still  retain  his 
manhood.'  And  the  young-  rascal  means  it,  too  ;  for  he 
has  already  written  a  letter  applying  for  a  situation.  0, 
how  little  we  realize  that  our  children  may  grow  away  from 
us  more  and  more,  year  by  year,  because  we  insist  on  being 
guardians  more  than  companions  !" 

Mrs.  Howard  noticed  with  joy  what  seemed  to  her  as  the 
softening  of  her  husband  toward  Arthur's  desire  to  attend 
college,  and  said,  quietly: 

''You  know  he  will  go  any  way;  why,  then,  would  it 
not  be  better  to  send  him  as  a  gentleman's  son  and  in  a 
creditable  way  ?" 

''I  would  not  do  it  for  the  world  !"  hastily  interrupted 
Mr.  Howard.  "  Can  you  not  see  that  it  is  the  struggle 
with  the  world  that  is  to  separate  the  wheat  from  the 
chaff, — the  bearing  of  hardships  of  his  own  choosing  that 
will  toughen  him  so  that  he  can  successfully  fight  his  way 
through  where  others,  reared  as  you  suggest,  will  droop 
and  fall  by  the  way  ?  No  !  Let  him  do  as  he  now  intends, 
and  when  he  comes  back,  you  will  find  that  he  has  received 
the  experience  he  needs  to  make  him  a  son  that  we  can 
well  be  proud  of." 


16  FOILED. 

"I  trust  that  you  are  right,  my  dear/'  replied  Mrs. 
Howard  ;  "  but  be  careful  that  discouragement  does  not 
follow  too  great  a  strain." 

''0,  no  fear  of  that  !"  responded  Mr.  Howard;  ''care 
never  kills  the  young." 

To  Arthur,  the  few  days  following  were  filled  with  alter- 
nating doubt  and  hope.  One  minute  he  would  be  urging 
the  postman  to  look  once  more,  and  see  if  he  had  not  over- 
looked his  letter  ;  the  next,  he  would  be  figuring  just  the 
hour  that  his  letter  arrived,  and  the  last  possible  moment 
that  it  should  take  the  answer  to  reach  him.  But,  all 
unconscious  of  its  precious  burden,  the  mail  in  due  time 
brought  him  an  answer  ;  and  when  at  last  the  long-looked- 
for  letter  was  in  his  hand,  he  hardly  dared  to  open  it,  for 
fear  that  it  might  bring  him  only  disappointment ;  but, 
summoning  all  his  courage,  he  opened  it,  and  seeing  the 
word  "•  come,"  he  rushed  into  the  house,  and  throwing  his 
arms  around  his  mother,  cried  : 

''It's  all  right,  mother  ;  it's  all  right !" 

''What's  all  right,  Arthur?"  inquired  Mrs.  Howard, 
with  gentle,  reproving  quietness.  "  Have  you  heard  from 
Mr.  Reynolds  ?" 

"Read  that  and  see  !"  and  Arthur,  half  beside  himself 
with  joy,  handed  her  the  letter. 

Mrs.  Howard  opened  the  letter  and  read  the  short  but 
welcome  tidings  : 

"Yours  at  hand.     In  reply,  will  say,  come  as  soon  as 
you  please,  and  stay  as  long  you  please. 
"  Respectfully  yours, 

"Lawrence  Reynolds." 

"You  don't  seem  to  be  pleased  with  the  letter,"  said 


FOILED.  17 

Arthur,  as  he  noticed  a  shade  of  sadness  where  he  had 
expected  only  smiles  of  pleasure. 

Mrs.  Howard  looked  up  at  her  boy,  the  tears  glistening 
in  her  eyes,  as  she  quietly  said  : 

"When  you  are  gone,  Arthur,  I  shall  sadly  miss  you  ; 
but  I  am  glad  that  you    can  go,  for  all  that." 

"  0,  ril  write  you  evei'y  blessed  day,  and  then  the  time 
won't  seem  long,"  replied  Arthur,  as  he  danced  about  the 
room. 

This  brought  a  smile  to  Mrs.  Howard's  face,  and  she  again 
assumed  her  motherly  cares  and  began  the  preparations  to 
speed  the  jDarting  guest,  e'en  though  her  heart  said  stay. 

And  so,  with  the  aid  of  his  sisters,  short  work  was  made 
of  getting  him  ready  to  start.  His  trunk  was  none  too 
large,  but  it  contained  all  his  possessions.  When  he  was 
ready  his  father  gave  him  a  few  dollars  with  which  to  pay  his 
expenses  until  the  first  money  he  earned  was  paid  him,  his 
mother  adding  her  mite  by  slipping  into  his  hand  a  small 
gold  coin,  as  she  bid  him  good  bye,  at  the  same  time  hand- 
ing him  a  note,  saying:  ''There,  Arthur,  is  the  address  of 
valued  friends  who  live  in  the  city,  and  I  hope  you  will 
call  and  see  them." 

Arthur  carefully  placed  the  note  in  his  pocket,  and  was 
soon  whirling  on  to  the  city  of  his  adoption. 


CHAPTER  II. 

bertha's  oath  of  allegiance. 

Stewart  Graham  sat  reading  in  his  elegantly  furnished 
library,  which  as  you  enter  impresses  you  with  a  sense  of 
genial  whole-heartedness  in  all  its  surroundings,  to  no  one 
part  of  which  could  it  be  said  to  entirely  belong.  Every 
piece  of  decoration  partook  of  this  character,  and  yet 
seemed  necessary  to  completeness.  Some  of  the  pieces  of 
furniture  had  filled  an  honored  place  in  the  homes  of  his 
ancestors,  many  generations  before  ;  yet  the  elegant  carv- 
ing or  self-apparent  handiwork  of  a  master  in  art  was  suf- 
ficient to  give  them  an  honored  place  in  his  home.  The 
works  of  the  best  known  authors  in  literature,  science  and 
art  were  found  upon  the  shelves  of  his  library,  "  where 
were  treasured  up  for  his  daily  use  and  delectation  riches 
which  increase  by  being  consumed  and  jDleasures  that  never 
cloy."  The  center  of  the  handsome  bay  that  occupied  one 
side  of  the  room  revealed  an  aquarium  filled  with  gold  fish, 
on  either  side  of  which  were  living  plants,  whose  healthy 
■growth  gave  evidence  of  the  care  bestowed  upon  them, 
wTiile  in  the  grate  a  cheerful  fire  burned  and  shed  its 
warmth  throughout  the  room.  A  casual  observer  might 
take  Mr.  Graham  to  be  a  man  of  forty-five,  but  a  closer 

18 


FOILED.  19 

obseryation  would  reveal  that  he  was  nearer  sixty.     While 

in  his  youth  a  man  of  good  form,  he  was  now  approaching 

that  condition  of  portly  habit  so  common  to  men  of  his 

age,  yet  he  retained  his  sprightly  step  and  cheery  voice. 

"  No  chronic  torture  racked  his  aged  limb, 
For  luxury  and  sloth  had  nourished  none  for  him." 

The  best  of  his  years  he   had  spent  in  active  business 

life,  the  fruits  of  which  he  was  now  enjoying  in  ease  and 

comfort.     Of  him  you  could  say,  with  Groldsmith  : 

"  How  blest  is  he  who  crowns  in  shades  like  these 
A  youth  of  labor  with  an  age  of  ease." 

Were  you  to  call  upon  business,  you  would  find  that  he 
retained  the  crisp,  decisive  diction  so  common  to  commer- 
cial men  of  his  day,  yet  you  would  readily  recognize  in  him 
the  perfect  gentlemen ;  if  a  man  of  the  world,  you  would 
feel  perfectly  at  ease  in  his  presence,  and  when  your  busi- 
ness was  at  an  end  that  it  was  time  to  take  your  leave.  If 
you  met  him  socially  and  he  grasped  your  hand,  you  would 
recognize  in  him  a  friend  and  brother  ;  and  though  you 
knew  him  many  years,  you  might  never  hear  him  mention 
his  religious  faith,  yet  you  would  never  doubt  that  he  was 
one  of  God's  noblemen.     He  believed  with  Cowper,  that — 

"  Religion  does  not  censure  or  exclude 
Unnumbered  pleasures  harmlessly  pursued." 

With  him  your  kindly  acts  were  always  remembered.  Con- 
fiding, almost  to  a  fault,  he  trusts  until  deceived  ;  but 
once  deceived,  he  never  trusts  again.  Such  a  man  was 
Stewart  Graham.  A  few  years  before  the  opening  of  our 
story  he  had  lost  the  early  partner  of  his  joys,  and  had  but 
recently  brought  to  his  home  his  second  wife. 

Sitting  beside  him,   in   attire  fitly  becoming  her  sur- 


20  FOILED. 

roundings,  is  tlie  second  Mrs.  Graham.  As  she  rises  to 
meet  you,  her  commanding  appearance  rivets  your  atten- 
tion. Her  every  motion  reveals  the  perfected  actress  ;  her 
figure  displays  to  excellent  advantage  the  rich  and  elegant 
costume  she  wears.  Being  of  full  habit,  you  would  be  in- 
clined to  call  her  stout,  were  it  not  that  this  appearance  is 
so  well  hidden  by  her  height  as  not  to  offend  the  eye.  Her 
head  is  well  supported  by  a  neck  a  little  too  strong  in 
outline,  the  which,  however,  would  escape  your  notice 
were  it  not  that  the  heavy,  sensuous  lips  and  cold,  gray 
eyes  are  too  suggestive  of  a  will  and  self-reliance  that  has 
never  been  broken,  and  makes  you  despair  of  mercy  at  her 
hands.  In  full,  a  woman  that  charms  you,  you  know  not 
whether  by  fear  or  admiration.  At  the  sound  of  her  voice 
the  spell  is  broken,  and  you  feel  that  no  ordinary  woman 
stands  before  you.  Every  word  she  utters  is  well  chosen 
and  falls  with  silvery  accent  upon  your  ears.  The  force 
and  bearing  of  every  word  is  measured  as  she  speaks  it ; 
and  as  the  conversation  becomes  more  interesting,  you 
feel  the  power  of  her  influence  upon  you.  Her  words 
are  almost  realized  before  she  utters  them  ;  and  as  she 
unfolds  the  hidden  mysteries  of  her  mind,  she  carries 
you  along  a  willing  captive  to  her  thoughts  and  words. 
Nor  is  this  feeling  transitory.  You  feel  their  power  even 
after  you  have  left  her  presence.  The  hidden  stores  of  her 
knowledge,  and  the  correctness  of  her  judgment  of  human 
nature,  is  a  source  of  constant  surprise  ;  and  you  leave  her 
presence  fully  impressed  with  the  fact  that  you  have  met  a 
remarkable  woman. 

Near  her  sits  Bertha  Locke,  Mrs.  Graham's  most  cher- 


FOILED.  31 

ished  friend  and  companion.  She  is  not  possessed  of  a 
handsome  face^  and  a  slight  stooping  at  the  shonlders  de- 
tracts from  what  might  otherwise  have  been  a  fair  figure. 
The  poverty  of  her  parents,  who  lived  in  the  small  village 
of  Exeter,  made  it  necessary  for  her  to  support  herself  by 
teaching  in  the  village  school,  where  then  the  now  prosper- 
ous Mrs.  Graham  was  principal.  The  acquaintance  thus 
formed  had  ripened  into  a  friendship  that  gave  early  prom- 
ise of  being  lasting.  Her  hard  and  cheerless  life  had  made 
its  impression  on  her  disposition,  and  yet  such  was  the 
perfect  mastery  of  Mrs.  Graham  over  her  that  in  her  pres- 
ence Bertha  always  displayed  an  exterior  unbroken  by 
storms.  In  Mrs,  Graham^s  hands  Bertha  was  but  a  willing- 
tool. 

The  village  of  Exeter  was  situated  on  the  shores  of  a 
beautiful  lake,  which  gave  it  such  rare  advantages  for  boat- 
ing and  fishing  as  to  soon  bring  it  into  j^rominence  as  a 
most  inviting  summer  resort  for  the  wealthy  families  of 
the  city.  It  was  here  that  Stewart  Graham  first  met  his 
second  wife,  while  he  was  seeking  rest  and  quiet ;  and  it 
was  not  long  after  their  marriage  that  a  joressing  invitation 
was  sent  by  Mrs.  Graham  to  Bertha  to  visit  her  in  her  new 
home. 

Bertha,  greatly  desiring  to  perfect  herself  in  drawing  and 
painting,  willingly  availed  herself  of  the  opportunity  thus 
afforded  her.  Once  there,  Mrs.  Graham  had  no  intention 
that  she  should  soon  leave  her  house  ;  and  when  Mr.  Gra- 
ham expressed  his  surprise  at  her  long-continued  stay, 
she  informed  him  that  she  found  her  a  very  pleasant  com- 
panion and  had  invited  her  to  remain  until  her  studies  had 


22  FOILED. 

been  completed,  to  which  he  made  no  objection,  so  that 
Bertha  soon  became  a  recognized  member  of  his  family. 

Mr.  Graham  had  grown  weary  of  reading,  and,  laying 
his  book  aside,  he  asked  :  "  Where  is  Edith  to-night  ?" 

"  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know,"'  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  '•  but 
suppose  that  she  is  in  her  room,  or  with  the  servants  ;  she 
is  in  one  or  the  other  place  most  of  her  time.'' 

"  Will  you  call  her  in  ?     I  should  like  to  see  her." 

Mrs.  Graham  touched  the  bell,  and  said  to  the  servant 
answering :  "  Tell  Miss  Edith  lier  father  desires  to  see 
her." 

"Did  you  want  me,  father?'  A  fair  young  girl,  rosy 
cheeked,  with  dark  brown  eyes,  stood  at  the  open  door,  a 
shade  of  wistful  uncertainty  upon  her  fair  face. 

"  Yes,  daughter,"  replied  Mr.  Graham.  "  I  thought,  as 
I  was  tired,  that  if  you  were  not  busy  you  could  read  to 
me." 

Edith  quickly  drew  a  chair  near  him,  and  placing  her 
feet  upon  the  fender  of  the  grate,  read  the  heavy  scientific 
articles,  one  after  the  other,  until  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a 
beckoning  nod  to  Bertha,  quietly  arose  and  left  the  room, 
followed  shortly  afterward  by  Bertha. 

When  they  were  alone,  Mr.  Graham  turned  to  Edith 
and  said  : 

"Put  down  the  book,  daughter,  I  want  to  talk  with 
you.  I  notice  that  you  stay  in  your  room  a  great  deal  of 
late  and  I  do  not  see  you.     Why  is  this  ?" 

For  some  little  time  Edith  did  not  reply.  Then,  in  a 
low  voice,  her  eyes  fastened  on  the  glowing  coals,  she  said  : 

"  I  have  tried  to  overcome  my  dislike  for  Mrs.  Graham. 


FOILED.  23 

It  was  a  hard  struggle;  and,  as  you  know,  I  ha\e  had  to 
leave  the  room  several  times  within  the  last  few  weeks  or 
break  down  in  a  crying  spell,  because  of  her  remarks  to 
me  ;  and  yet  it  is  more  the  way  in  which  she  says  it  than 
in  what  she  says  that  makes  her  words  cut  so  deep.  I  sup- 
pose that  I  am  too  sensitive,  and  therefore  always  unpre- 
pared to  meet  her  cutting  remarks.  So  I  made  a  firm 
resolve  to  overcome  this  sensitiveness,  and  I  think  I  could 
have  succeeded  at  last,  were  it  not  that  when  she  found 
that  I  was  beginning  to  disregard  her  manner,  and  that  it 
did  not  alfect  me  as  before,  the  thought  seemed  to  madden 
lier,  and  she  flew  at  me  in  a  terrible  rage,  and  of  course  I 
broke  down  completely  ;  but  I  was  determined  I  would  not 
leave  the  room,  and  I  should  not  have  done  so  were  it  not 
that,  after  abusing  me  in  the  way  she  had,  she  hea})ed 
abuse  upon  my  dead  mother,  calling  her  a  weak-minded 
fool,  that  had  neglected  her  duty  in  not  properly  bringing 
me  up,  but  leaving  me  upon  her  hands  to  be  a  shame  and 
disgrace  to  her.  What  more  she  said  I  do  not  know,  for 
this  I  felt  I  could  not  stand,  and  so  in  dismay  I  fled  from 
the  room.  She  may  ill  treat  me  and  I  will  try  and  stand 
it  for  your  sake.  But  when  this  woman,  Avho  is  now  reap- 
ing the  benefit  of  my  mother's  years  of  toil,  enters  the 
home  made  desolate  by  her  death  in  order  that  she  may 
cast  odium  upon  her  name,  it  is  more  than  I  can  stand  even 
for  you.  No,  no  !  The  memory  of  my  mother  is  too 
sacred.  I  concluded,  therefore,  that  the  best  way  was  for 
me  to  stay  in  my  room  ;  once  in  a  while,  when  too  lone- 
some, going  down  with  the  servants  for  a  breathing  spell.'* 
Mr.  Graham's  spectacles  had  fallen  to  tlie  floor,  his  cheeks 


24  FOILED. 

were  wet  with  tears,  his  face,  covered  with  his  hand,  could 
not  be  seen.  He  was  bearing  his  cross  with  heroism. 
Edith  sat  gazing  fixedly  into  the  fire,  with  a  longing,  wist- 
ful look.  No  word  escaped  her  lips  ;  yet  who  doubts  that 
her  thoughts  were  of  that  mother,  more  needed  now  than 
when  first  born-, — that  mother  by  whose  presence  a  child 
would  have  been  comforted,  a  home  made  hapjjy  ! 

0,  what  a  picture  !  Wealth  and  luxury  abounding,  on 
every  hand  ease  and  comfort,  yet  the  father  and  daughter 
mourn  in  silence  the  departed  mother  and  wife  !  The 
father^s  thoughts  return  to  the  day  when  he  first  called  her 
wife, — their  little  home,  —  the  pride  of  the  day  when 
Edith  was  born, — the  day  of  her  death  ;  and  now,  the  day 
of  her  being  reviled  in  his  house  and  by  his  wife  !  Do 
you  not  say  that  he  was  a  bravG  man  that  held  his  peace 
under  these  afflictions?  The  daughter  struggling  with  that 
inward  cry  of  mamma  !  mamma  ! — the  child's  cry  ;  for  we 
are  all  children  in  our  deepest  affliction. 

"  They  thus  passed  over  the  white  sands  and  between  the  rocks, 
silent  as  their  sliadows." 

At   last   Edith    arose,   and  not  wishing   to   disturb  her 

father's  reveries,  silently  bent  over  him,   kissed  his  brow 

and   retired  to  her  room.     Late  into  the  night   Stewart 

Graham  sat  in  the  same  unaltered  position,  where — 
"With  silence  as  their  henodiction,  God's  angels  came, 
Where  in  the  shadow  of  his  great  affliction  his  soul  sat  dumb." 
Mrs.    Graham   had  chosen   the   time  while   Edith   was 
reading  to   her   father  to  have  a  talk  with    Bertha  on  a 
subject  that  had  long  been  the  burden  of  her  mind  ;   so 
when  she  passed  from  the  library  into  the  sitting-room  she 
seated  herself,  and  motioning  Bertha  to  a  seat  by  her  side, 
said  : 


FOILED.  35 

*'  You  are,  no  doubt,  aware  that  when  I  married  'Sir. 
Graham  we  were  both  too  old  to  be  deluded  with  the  idea 
that  it  was  what  is  commonly  called  a  love  match,  and  you 
can  readily  see  that  as  a  school  teacher  I  had  but  little 
prospect  of  making  a  fortune  for  myself ;  so  that  when 
Stewart  Graham  offered  me  his  hand  and  fortune,  the  pic- 
ture of  his  elegant  home  and  surroundings,  with  ease  and 
comfort  for  the  rest  of  my  life,  was  too  inviting  for  me  to 
refuse.  I  accepted  his  offer,  not  thnt  it  was  the  only  one 
at  my  disposal,  but  looking  at  them  all  in  a  business  light, 
and  finding  the  advantage  of  wealth  was  on  his  side,  I 
married  him.  There  was  no  question  of  love.  I  simply 
married  him  for  a  home.  Now,  Bertha,  I  have  made  a 
confidant  of  you  in  this  matter,  and  I  want  you  to  look 
about  you  and  see  the  advantages  of  this  position, — the  social 
standing,  the  power  to  rise  to  the  height  of  one's  greatest 
ambition,  to  be  able  to  sway  society  at  the  waving  of  your 
hand,  with  the  homes  of  our  best  families  open  to  you, — 
and  with  all  this  in  mind,  tell  me,  would  you  like  to  share 
it  ?  " 

"I  need  not  long  consider  it,"  quickly  replied  Bertha  ; 
''  of  course  I  would.  I  would  feel  that  my  aim  in  life  was 
accomplished  were  I  only  to  approach  it.  You  do  not  need 
to  tell  me  the  advantages  of  your  position,  I  know  them 
only  too  well.  Have  not  I  had  to  struggle  for  my  daily 
bread,  and  do  I  not  know  what  the  difference  is  between 
that  and  the  position  you  hold  ?  But  why  torture  me  with 
such  thoughts  ? — they  only  worry  me,  they  are  too  unreal, 
too  far  removed. '' 

''Not  too  unreal  if  I  offer  them,  are  they  ?"  inquiringly 


26  FOILED. 

answered  Mrs.  Graham,  who  eagerly  watched  her  face  to 
see  the  effect  of  her  words  ;  and  though  Bertha  hesitated 
a  moment  before  she  again  replied,  Mrs.  Graham  felt  sure 
her  object  was  accomplished  when  she  saw  the  look  of 
gloomy  despair  on  Bertha^s  face  give  way  to  one  of  uncer- 
tainty and  finally  of  ecstatic  joy. 

"  No, — "  doubtfully  answered  Bertha. 

"  Well,  I  do  offer  it ;  do  you  accept  ?" 

"I  do." 

"  On  any  terms  ?" 

"  Yes,  on  any  terms,"  replied  Bertha,  firmly. 

"  Well,  I  must  give  you  credit  for  more  sense  than  most 
women  have,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham.  "  But  my  terms  are 
very  easy  :  you  must  become  the  adopted  daughter  of  Stew- 
art Graham." 

"  I  hardly  understand  you/' replied  Bertha,  lialf  affrighted 
at  the  boldness  of  Mrs.  Graham's  proposition. 

"  You  must  become  the  adopted  daughter  of  Stewart 
Graham  ! "  answered  Mrs.  Graham,  decisively. 

"■  But  how  can  I  ?"  persisted  Bertha. 

"Leave  that  to  me,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  confidently. 
"  When  my  plans  are  ready  I  will  show  you  the  way.  Until 
then,  act  well  your  part  and  all  will  be  well." 


CHAPTER  TIT. 

THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    END. 

After  riding  all  night,  Arthur,  early  the  next  morning, 
arrived  at  his  destination.  He  had  a  general  idea  of  the 
direction  ho  shonld  take,  but  found  it  necessary  to  make 
some  inquiries,  and  stepping  up  to -one  of  the  men  who 
were  loitering  about  a  building  that  was  just  being  erected, 
he  asked  : 

"  Can  you  tell  me  where  I  can  find  the  store  of  Rey- 
nolds, Chalmers  &  Co.  ?  " 

"  Begorrah  !  and  I  can't,"  replied  the  Irishman,  for  such 
he  proved  to  be.  "And,  faith,  me  lad,  what  street  might  it 
be  on  ?  " 

Arthur  gave  him  the  address,  when  he  quickly  replied  : 

"Ah  !  yis  ;  an'  I'm  goin'  right  by  there.  Come  with  me 
and  I'll  show  ye's  where  it  is." 

Artliur  hesitated  a  moment,  for  he  remembered  that  he 
had  often  read  of  strangers  in  a  great  city  being  misled  by 
sharpers,  who  were  ever  on  the  alert  to  take  advantage  of 
and  rob  them.  The  ready  willingness  of  this  man  to 
accompany  him  looked  suspicious,  and  he  determined  he 
would  defeat  him  if  such  was  his  object,  so  he  said: 
"  If  you  will  tell  me  how  I  should  go  I  am  sure  I  can  find 

my  way." 

27 


28  FOILED. 

"  Shure,"  an'  Fll  not  be  after  hurting  ye's.  Come 
along,  an  ye's  can  read  the  sign,  and  if  ye's  loike  it  then 
ye's  can  go  in. " 

This  settled  the  matter  with  Arthur,  and  he  willingly 
followed  his  lead. 

''An'  so  ye's  thought  I  wos  wan  of  thim  sharp  fellers  what 
was  a  tryin'  to  rope  ye's  in,  did  yer  ?"  began  his  companion 
as  they  rapidly  walked  along. 

"Well,  I  hardly  knew,"  replied  Arthur,  who  now  saw 
that  his  hesitation  was  fully  understood  by  his  companion. 

"Well,  now,  me  lad,  whin  ye's  come  across  wan  of  thim 
fellers  he  want  be  drissed  in  clothes  loike  thim," — looking 
deprecatingly  down  at  his  well  worn  clothes  ; — but  ye's  will 
think  ye's  hav  cum  acrost  wan  of  the  foinest  gints  in  the 
land.  He'll  be  drissed  to  kill,  and  av  as  glib  a  tongue  in 
his  head  as  iver  ye's  heard.  But  ye'r  want  to  look  sharp  to 
ye'r  pockets  while  he's  around." 

"0,  yes,"  replied  Arthur,  "I  have  heard  of  them." 

"An  ye's  thought  because  I  hed  me  wurkin'  clothes  on 
that  I  was  a  lookin'  for  kids  like  ye  !  Well,  it  only  shows 
that  ye's  don't  know  much  about  this  town  ! '' 

Arthur  felt  chagrined  at  his  mistake,  and  said,  consol- 
ingly :  "  But  your  clothes  make  no  difference  to  me,  for  I 
believe  a  man  can  wear  good  clothes  and  not  be  a  gentle- 
man ." 

•'0,  that's  all  right,  me  lad  !  But,  say,  air  ye's  goin'  to 
wurk  fur  them  folks  where  yer  goin'  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Arthur,  with  pardonable  pride,  "  I  have 
a  place  there  " 

' '  Well,  good  luck  to  ye's  !     Now,  here  we  are,  and  there's 


FOILED.  29 

the  sign ;  be  sure  an'  read  it  before  ye's  go  in,"  and  liis 
Irish  friend  walked  on,  chuckling  to  himself  at  Arthur's 
mistake. 

Years  afterward,  when  he  remembered  liow  he  had  mis- 
taken his  friend  for  a  city  sharper,  Arthur  could  not  repress 
a  smile. 

Mr.  Eeynolds  met  Arthur  very  kindly,  and  after  a  few 
minutes'  conversation  placed  him  in  charge  of  the  head  of 
the  department  to  which  he  had  been  assigned  Here  he 
rapidly  acquired  the  necessary  knowledge  to  make  him 
efl&cient  in  his  work,  and  after  making  his  arrangements 
at  the  college,  soon  settled  into  a  routine  of  labor  that  so 
thoroughly  occupied  his  time  and  thoughts  that  weeks 
rolled  into  months  without  his  appreciation  of  it,  until  the 
winter  had  passed,  and  with  it  the  completion  of  his  first 
course  at  college.  He  was  now  carrying  on  his  studies 
preparatory  to  the  struggle  that  must  come  with  his  next 
year's  course,  when  he  hoped,  if  possible,  to  graduate. 
Unknown  to  Arthur,  he  had  been  carefully  watched  by  Mr. 
Reynolds,  who  quickly  recognized  the  faithfulness  with 
which  he  performed  his  duties  ;  as  a  result  of  which,  at 
the  close  of  his  college  term,  he  was  given  a  position  in  Mr. 
Reynold's  office,  where  his  work  was  much  lighter  but 
required  great  care.  He  was  thus  occupied,  on  a  pleasant 
summer's  day,  when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  hand- 
some carriage  stopping  before  the  door,  and,  looking  up 
from  his  work,  he  was  greatly  surprised  to  see  his  father 
and  mother  alight,  and,  escorted  by  a  pleasant-faced  gen- 
tleman, make  their  way  toward  the  office. 

"  Well,  mother,  you  have  surprised  me  this  time,  sure  I" 
exclaimed  Arthur,  as  he  met  her  at  the  door. 


30  FOILED. 

''We  wanted  to  know  how  you  were  situated,  and  took 
this  way  of  finding  out,"  replied  Mrs.  Howard;  and  then, 
turning  to  the  gentleman  that  accompanied  them,  she  said: 
''Mr.  Graham,  this  is  my  son  Arthur;  Arthur,  this  is  Mr. 
Graham,  at  whose  house  we  are  stopping." 

"I  feel  that  I  know  you  pretty  well  already,"  replied 
Mr,  Graham,  quietly,  as  he  held  Arthur's  hand.  "  Your 
mother  has  told  me  of  your  ambition,  and  I  trust  for  her 
sake  you  will  succeed." 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Arthur,  "I  intend  to  if  it  is 
possible." 

"And  now,  in  accordance  with  our  agreement,"  said 
Mr.  Graham,  turning  towards  Mrs.  Howard,  "  I  will  leave 
you  with  Arthur  and  will  call  for  you  on  my  return."  He 
then  entered  his  carriage  and  was  rapidly  driven  away. 

Mr.  Howard  had  sought  his  old  friend  and  Arthur's 
employer,  thus  leaving  him  and  his  mother  alpne. 

"  So  that  was  Mr.  Graham,  was  it  ?"  queried  Arthur. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Howard,  "and  I  find  that  you  have 
not  followed  my  advice  and  called  on  them.  I  wonder  you 
have  not  felt  the  need  of  counsel,  and  that  you  were  not 
lonesome  for  want  of  home  influences." 

' '  Had  I  known  him  as  I  feel  I  do  now,  I  certainly  should 
have  called,"  replied  Arthur,  earnestly  ;  "  but  when  I  found 
the  house  and  saw  the  elegant  surroundings,  I  could  not 
muster  sufficient  courage  to  go  in ;  besides,  my  empty 
pockets  and  my  position  gave  me  good  reason  to  believe 
that  my  company  would  be  out  of  place." 

"  Were  you  rich  or  poor,  it  would  have  but  little  weight 
with  Stewart  Graham,"  quietly  replied  Mrs.  Howard. 


FOILED.  31 

■  "Well,  then,  he  is  different  from  many  others,"  replied 
Arthur,  positively.  "  Money  is  what  tells  with  most  of 
them." 

"  Not  with  the  best  of  them,  my  son.  But  let  me  change 
the  subject  long  enough  to  say  that  we  are  all  to  take  tea 
at  Mr.  Graham's  house  this  evening.  Mr.  Graham  will 
call  for  us  in  a  few  minutes,  and  you  are  to  come  as  soon  as 
you  can  get  away." 

"Arthur,"  said  Mr.  Howard,  joining  them,  "I  am 
pleased  to  hear  from  Mr.  Reynolds  that  you  have  done  so 
well.  He  evidently  takes  quite  an  interest  in  you,  and  I 
trust  his  friendship  will  not  be  misplaced." 

"He  never  hinted  to  me  that  he  was  pleased,"  replied 
Arthur  ;  "  I  couldn't  tell  whether  I  pleased  him  or  not." 

"No,"  replied  Mr.  Howard,  earnestly,  "he  is  a  man  of 
few  words,  and  neither  lauds  nor  censure^ ;  but  he  knows 
what  is  going  on,  for  all  that." 

"  Well,  I'm  pleased  to  know  that  he  is  satisfied  with 
me,"  replied  Arthur,  with  a  grateful  smile;  "but  some- 
times a  little  praise  would  help  amazingly." 

"  Here  is  Mr.  Graham,"  said  Mrs.  Howard,  as  the  car- 
riage drew  up  to  the  door.  "  Now,  Arthur,  good  bye,  and 
be  sure  and  come." 

Arthur  followed  them   to  the  carriage,  and  when  they 
were  seated,  Mr.   Graham  turned  to  him  and  said  : 
.  "  Your  mother  has  delivered  you  our  invitation,  has  she 
not  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Arthur. 

"  Well,  you  must  be  sure  and  come." 

"I'll  be  there,  sure,"  replied  Arthur  ;  and  as  he  stood 
looking  after  them  as  they  were   being  driven  away,  he 


32  FOILED. 

thought — ''What  a  fine  old  gentleman  he  is  !  One  would 
almost  think  his  pleasure  depended  upon  my  coming,  and 
yet  I  know  it  was  only  for  my  sake  that  he  said  it ;  whether 
I  went  or  not  could  make  no  difference  to  him/' 

That  evening  as  Arthur  entered  the  spacious  parlors  of 
Mr.  Graham's  residence,  his  eyes  at  one  rapid  glance  took 
ill  the  elegant  surroundings,  while  his  mother  noticed  with 
pleasure  the  ease  with  which  he  bore  himself  while  being 
introduced  to  the  two  young  ladies. 

''We  are  greatly  pleased  to  have  you  with  us,"  was  Mrs. 
Graham's  courteous  salutation;  "and  as  your,  father  and 
mother  must  spare  you  for  a  time,  I  will  commit  you  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  Edith  and  Bertha.  It  will  be  two 
against  one,  I  admit ;  but  you  will  no  doubt  be  able  to 
defend  yourself  even  against  such  odds." 

Since  it  had  first  been  announced  to  them  that  Arthur 
was  coming,  Edith  and  Bertha  awaited  the  time  with  some 
curiosity.  The  glowing  accounts  of  him  that  had  been 
given  them  by  his  mother,  in  her  enthusiasm  and  love  for 
him,  were  sufficient  to  awaken  in  them  a  desire  to  sec  what 
he  was  in  reality.  Had  Arthur  known  of  this,  ho  would 
indeed  have  been  sore  dismayed  ;  but,  happily,  he  did  not. 

"  Your  mother  pays  me  a  high  compliment,  I  assure 
you,"  said  Arthur,  as  he  seated  himself  near  the  young 
ladies;  "but  I  fear  she  underestimates  your  accomplish- 
ments." 

"Or,  possibly,  appreciates  yours,"  answered  Bertha. 

"0,  Bertha  I  how  unkind  to  suppose  that  any  one  could 
appreciate  his  ability  with  only  two  minutes'  conversation!"' 
said  Edith,  laughingly. 

"I  believe,"  said  Arthur,  "that  it  is  an  acknowledged 


FOILED.  33 

fact  that  there  is  a  vast  difference  in  the  perceptive  facul- 
ties of  different  persons." 

"Then,  as  you  think  us  dull,  we  must  ask  for  more 
time,"  retorted  Bertha. 

"Were  I  to  admit  that  you  were  dull,  the  which  I  do 
not,"  replied  Arthur,  with  a  half  malicious  smile,  "I  still 
think  that  two  minutes  would  give  you  ample  time,  and  I 
would  be  fortunate  indeed  if  you  did  not  have  some  time 
to  spare,  in  which  to  find  out  much  that  I  do  not  know." 

"There,  that's  just  like  you  men  !"  said  Bertha,  "always 
pretending  you  do  not  know  much  ;  but  I  dare  say  it  would 
be  dangerous  for  others  to  tell  you  so." 

"There  are  always  two  sides  to  a  question,"  replied 
Arthur,  laughing,  "and  I  prefer  to  take  this  side,  that^s 
all." 

"Well,  that  was  well  turned,"  said  Edith,  her  eyes 
twinkling  merrily ;  "but  tell  us,  is  it  not  more  easy  to 
make  an  argument  on  the  side  with  which  you  believe  ?" 

"  And  is  not  that  the  reason  I  take  this  side  ?"  inquired 
Arthur. 

"  0,  but  that  is  begging  the  question  ! "  said  Bertha. 
"But  come,  let  us  adjourn  to  the  tea  table." 

"  Your  father  tells  me  that  yovi  are  attending  college," 
said  Mr.  Graham  to  A^rthur,  as  they  were  all  seated  at  the 
table,  "  and  that  you  are  paying  your  way  by  working  in 
Mr.  Eeynold's  store, — don't  you  find  that  a  pretty  big 
undertaking  ?  " 

"I  do,"  replied  Arthur,  "but  not  an  unpleasant  one. 
It  occupies  my  time  and  thoughts  so  completely  as  to  make 
the  days  pass  very  rapidly." 

3 


34  FOILED. 

"  So  we  have  been  talking  to  a  young  man  just  from 
college!"'  interposed  Edith  ;  "no  doubt  we  have  greatly- 
shocked  him  with  our  ignorance."  "* 

''0,  these  college  boys  don't  know  everything,  Edith," 
replied  Mr.  Howard.  "Some  of  them  think  they  do,  but 
they  strike  wide  of  the  mark  quite  often." 

"  That  is  Avhat  I  have  been  trying  to  make  Miss  Edith 
and  Bertha  understand,"  replied  Arthur,  laughingly. 

''Your  trouble,  no  doubt,  arose  from  the  fact  that  you 
had  no  faith  in  your  arguments,"  answered  Mr.  Howard. 

*•  There  !"  said  Edith,  "  that  is  just  what  we  told  him, 
wasn't  it  Bertha  ?  " 

A  general  laugh,  at  Arthur's  expense,  followed  this  sally 
of  Edith's. 

*'I  object,"  said  Mrs.  Graham.  "When  I  turned  Arthur 
over  to  these  two  young  ladies,  I  warned  him  that  he  must 
be  quick  witted;  he  was  not  vanquished  then,  and  it  is  not 
fair  to  have  all  the  recruits  go  to  one  side ;  so,  Arthur,  I 
will  act  as  a  rear  guard  to  you." 

"  In  that  case,  I  capitulate  at  once,"  said  Mr.  Howard. 

'■'I  felt  that  my  cause  was  just,"  said  Arthur ;  "but  I 
hardly  hoped  for  so  fair  a  champion." 

'' Your  aptness  for  flattery  is  remarkable,"  replied  Mrs. 
Gi'aham  ;  "did  you  inherit  it  ?" 

"I  gave  you  due  notice  that  I  had  capitulated,"  inter- 
posed Mr.  Howard,  "and  the  victor  can  well  afford  to  be 
merciful." 

"But  precipitous  surrander  leaves  no  renown,"  per- 
sisted Mrs.  Graham. 

"  I  think,  Mrs.  Graham,  you   have  reaped  glory  enough 


FOILED.  35 

for  one  day/'  said  Mrs.  Howard,  quietly;  "for  in  all  the 
years  that  I  have  known  my  husband,  I  hare  never  seen 
him  so  abjectly  penitent  as  he  is  now." 

"Come,  Edith,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  "all  the  others  have 
laid  down  their  arms  ;  you  and  Bertha  had  better  do  the 
same,  and  let  peace  once  more  reign  over  our  fair  land." 

"Edith  and  I  still  remain  true,"  answered  Bertha; 
"  though  beaten,  we  are  not  conquered  !  " 

*'  I  believe  that  a  woman  never  surrenders  except  after  a 
long  siege,"  suggested  Arthur. 

The  laughter  that  followed,  completely  routed  the  already 
disorganized  forces  of  Edith  and  Bertha,  and  as  they  left 
the  table,  Mr.  Graham  turned  to  Mr.  Howard  and  said  :  "I 
am  afraid  you  do  not  favor  a  college  education." 

"  I  have  more  objection  to  the  education  of  our  boys  in 
habits  of  idleness  and  vice  that  college  associations  give, 
than  to  the  education  they  get,  or  fail  to  get,  from  books," 
replied  Mr.  Howard. 

"I  would  most  certainly  send  a  son  of  mine  to  col- 
lege," replied  Mr.  Graham.  "The  risk  there  would  not 
be  more  than  that  which  he  would  meet  in  commercial  life 
— is  that  not  so,  Arthur  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  am  able  to  judge  correctly,"  replied 
Arthur,  doubtfully  ;  "  but  I  should  say  that  the  young 
men  of  both  places  are  about  the  same.  Some  of  the  clerks 
in  our  store  are  men  that  I  would  not  like  as  companions 
or  trusted  counselors  ;  others  I  cannot  but  respect  and 
would  gladly  follow.  This  is  equally  true  of  those  I  meet 
in  and  about  college.  But  there  is  one  thing  that  makes 
it  easy  for  college  boys  to  form  bad  habits,  and  that  is,  idle 


36  FOILED. 

time.  Outside  of  this,  I  can  see  no  difference  in  the 
temptations  of  college  boys  from  those  in  other  pursuits  ; 
but  even  this  difference  is  partly  overcome  by  the  idle 
hours  between  the  close  of  business  and  late  bedtime." 

"  Now,  that  is  it  exactly,"  continued  Mr.  Graham. 
"Arthur  has  given  you  a  statement  of  what  he  knows  by 
experience.  The  cause  is  the  same  in  either  case.  If  a 
young  man  has  not  the  m'oral  courage  to  avoid  these  vices, 
you  may  erect  all  the  barriers  around  him  that  is  possible, 
and  yet  it  will  do  no  more  to  make  him  able  to  resist  the 
alluring  influences  of  vice  than  keeping  plants  in  a  hot- 
house fits  them  to  stand  the  biting  frost.  It  is,  after  all, 
what  is  in  the  youth  that  determines  what  the  man  will 
be." 

"  But  you  will  admit  that  it  is  unwise  to  place  even  the 
strongest  plant  in  the  greatest  cold,"  persisted  Mr.  Howard. 

"Not  if  the  jjlant  is  toughened  against  its  influence," 
replied  Mr.  Graham,  quickly;  "for  in  the  Arctic  regions 
we  find  the  lichens  growing  as  thriftily  as  these  plants  that 
cause  my  wife  so  much  care.  No  j  Give  me  a  young  man 
with  deep-rooted,  firmly  fixed  principles,  who  does  right 
because  it  is  right,  and  I  will  trust  to  his  coming  out  all 
right  in  the  end  ! '' 

"On  that  point  I  entirely  agree  with  you,"  replied  Mr. 
Howard.  "  But  how  best  to  accomplish  that  end  is  what  I 
am  desirous  of  finding  out." 

"  That  I  am  unable  to  tell  you ;  but  I  know  of  no  better 
way  than  to  develop  a  sturdy  self-reliance  in  their  own 
judgment  of  right  and  wrong,  and  then  rely  upon  their 
moral  integrity  to  fulfill  the  promptings  of  that  judgment. 


FOILED.  ■  37 

I  hardly  need  add  that  the  time  for  this  development  is 
from  their  earliest  childhood  until  they  leave  home  to  go 
ont  into  the  world  and  battle  against  its  temptations.'" 

"  But  you  will  admit  that  there  is  a  vast  difference  in 
boys/"'  replied  Mr.  Howard,  confidently;  ''and  some 
naturally  so  bad  that  we  despair  of  ever  finding  a  trace  of 
self-respect  upon  which  to  build  this  development  of  which 
you  speak?" 

"  I  am  forced  to  admit  that  such  is  the  case,"  replied 
Mr.  Graham,  sadly;  ''but  what  a  wonderful  difference  it 
might  have  made  with  these  same  boys  had  their  home  sur- 
roundings been  of  the  character  I  have  briefly  outlined.  I 
would  ask  no  better  proof  of  the  correctness  of  my  views 
than  to  have  you  search  the  early  history  of  just  such  boys 
and  find  what  their  home  influence  has  been.  Then  turn 
to  the  more  pleasing  jDicture,  ■  and  find  what  the  home 
influence  was  in  the  childhood  of  some  of  our  best  men.^' 

"But  it  is  often  quoted,"  replied  Mr.  Howard,  "that 
the  sons  of  ministers  are  sure  to  become  worthless  men  — 
how  do  you  account  for  this  ?  " 

"Granting  that  it  is  true,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  "it  only 
serves  to  prove  the  correctness  of  what  I  have  just  said. 
In  the  few  cases  where  ministers'  sons  have  disgraced  their 
fathers'  calling,  you  can  trace  the  cause  directly  to  the 
home  influence." 

"  But  certainly  you  do  not  claim  that  the  home  influence 
in  a  minister's  household  can  be  other  than  good  ? "  re- 
plied Mr.  Howard,  with  a  questioning  look. 

"  I  am  compelled  to  say  just  that,"  replied  Mr.  Graham, 
positively.      "  In  many  cases  it  is  true  that  the  surround- 


38  FOILED. 

ings  of  a  minister's  family  are  as  bad  for  the  healthy  growth 
of  its  youth  as  is  that  of  many  a  household  where  religion 
is  never  thought  of.  The  children  are  ruled  with  a  rod 
of  iron  ;  every  childish  act  made  to  conform  to  the  rigid 
rules  of  the  father's  own  life  ;  the  whole  atmosphere  of  the 
household  is  one  of  constant  restraint,  not  only  against  evil, 
but,  I  fear,  against  nature  itself.  The  result  is,  that  when 
this  unnatural  restraint  is  thrown  off,  and  the  youth  leaves 
his  father's  control,  the  evil  influences  that  surround  him 
have  ten  fold  more  attraction  for  him,  and  he  has  but  little, 
if  any,  moral  stamina  with  which  to  resist.  No,  Mr. 
Howard,  we  are  both  growing  old,  and  should  have  only 
encouragement  for  those  who  must  take  our  place.  We 
know  what  the  struggle  is  ;  they  have  it  yet  to  learn.  Why, 
then,  should  we  not  give  them  the  benefit  of  our  expe- 
rience, and  make  their  load  that  much  lighter." 

"I,  too,  liave  learned  these  trials  by  experience,"  replied 
Mr.  Howard,  musingly;  "but  what  you  have  said  has 
never  occurred  to  me  so  forcibly  before." 

"  Men  wonder  at  the  greatness  of  this  city,"  continued 
Mr.  Graham,  "  and  yet,  to  a  very  large  extent,  it  owes  its 
greatness,  its  dash  and  untiring  energy,  to  the  fact  that  our 
young  men  are  trusted  and  given  a  chance.  JSTo  city  in  the 
world  has  so  many  young  men  at  the  head  of  large  enter- 
prises ;  no  city  has  brighter,  sharper,  or  more  active  men, — 
and  all  because  they  are  given  an  opportunity  to  develop 
the  material  that  is  in  them.  The  result  of  this  is  seen  in 
the  rapid  strides  this  city  has  made.  The  world  looked  on 
and  predicted  the  early  collapse  of  its  mushroom  growth  : 
but  the  never-tiring  muscles  and  unbounded  enthusiasm  of 


FOILED.  39 

these  young  men  carried  it  at  a  bound  where  the  world  now 
recognizes  it  to  be  firmly  rooted.  What  the  result  of  I'e- 
struining  our  young  men  would  have  been,  I  must  leave  to 
your  imagination;  but  as  for  Arthur,  I  think  you  will  be 
safe  in  leaving  him  to  take  his  own  course.  He  has  the 
true  metal  in  him,  and  you  will  see  it  developed  in  due 
time/' 

"  I  am  pleased  to  hear  you  say  so,"  replied  Mr.  Howard, 
"  and  I  must  thank  you  for  this  friendly  advice,  for  I  now 
feel  more  at  rest  concerning  him  than  ever  before." 

"It's  worth  trying,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  laughing  ;  "  it 
can  do  no  harm  in  any  event," 

Arthur  had  meanwhile  been  holding  an  animated  and 
pleasant  conversation  with  Mrs.  Graham,  while  his  motiier 
was  being  entertained  by  Edith  and  Bertha. 

Mrs.  Graham's  courteous  reception  of  Arthur,  and  her 
championing  of  his  cause  at  the  table,  had  comjjletely  won 
his  good  opinion  of  her  as  a  lady  and  pleasant  companion  ; 
so  when  she  again  sought  him,  he  eagerly  accepted  the 
opportunity  of  showing  his  appreciation  of  her  kind  at- 
tentions by  entertaining  her  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
though,  from  the  difference  in  their  ages,  he  anticipated  but 
little  pleasure  for  himself.  It  was,  therefore,  with  some 
embarrassment  that  he  suddenly  realized  that  he  had  been 
occniiying  considerable  time  in  relating  his  personal  expe- 
riences to  Mrs.  Graham,  who  was  apparently  a  most  inter- 
ested listener.  Eealizing  his  breach  of  etiquette,  he  blnsh- 
ingly  hesitated  for  a  moment,  when  Mrs.  Graham,  gathering 
up  the  broken  thread  of  his  conversation,  deftly  led  him 
towards  subjects  of  more  general  interest.     Arthur  readily 


40  FOILED. 

followed,  and  found  the  change  from  witness  to  listener  much 
more  to  his  liking.  But  Mrs.  Graham's  object  had  been 
accomplished  :  she  had,  without  his  appreciating  the  fact, 
purposely  led  him  to  speak  of  himself  until  she  had 
obtained  a  thorough  insight  into  his  character  and  capa- 
bilities, and  having  accomplished  her  purpose,  she  brought 
about  the  lull  in  their  conversation  that  brought  so  forcibly 
to  his  attention  the  fact  that  he  had  for  some  time  been 
talking  of  himself. 

"^  I  must  really  beg  your  pardon  for  staying  so  long," 
said  Arthur,  looking  at  his  watch;  "but  I  have  so 
thoroughly  enjoyed  myself  that  I  did  not  realize  it  was  so 
late." 

"  You  need  not  hurry,  for  I  have  likewise  been  well  enter- 
tained," replied  Mrs.  Graham,  kindly. 

"  You  are  very  kind  ;  but  if  I  do  not  spare  you  I  must 
at  least  take  pity  on  my  father  and  mother,  for,  as  you 
know,  they  are  not  accustomed  to  being  up  so  late," 
replied  Arthur,  with  a  sly  glance  at  his  mother. 

"  In  that  case  we  cannot  say  nay  ;  but  we  shall  see  you 
again,  shall  we  not?" 

"I  should  be  most  happy  to  comply,  Mrs.  Graham," 
said  Arthur,  his  whole  impulsive  nature  filled  with  grati- 
tude at  the  remembrance  of  her  many  kindnesses. 

''Then  let  it  be  soon,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  earnestly. 

"And  let  me  add  my  endorsement  of  that,  too,"  added 
Mr.  Graham,  as  he  bid  Arthur  good-night. 

"And  we  shall  be  ready  to  renew  our  combat,"  said 
Bertha,  as  she  extended  him  her  hand. 

"And  you  ?"  said  Arthur,  turning  to  Edith,  "will  you 
fight,  too  ?  " 


FOILED.  41 

*'At  a  moment's  notice/'  replied  Edith,  laughing. 

When  Arthur  was  left  alone  with  his  father  and  mother, 
at  the  door,  he  said:  "  I  have  enjoyed  this  evening  much 
more  than  I  expected." 

"  Yes,"  laughingly  replied  his  father,  "1  noticed  that  you 
and  the  young  ladies  seemed  very  much  occupied." 

"  Not  in  that  way,"  replied  Arthur.  "  It  was  because  1 
was  hungry  for  something  else  than  the  bustle  of  business 
and  business  men.  This  great  city  throbs  with  commercial 
life ;  the  great  arteries  of  trade  pulsate  with  never-tiring 
energy.  The  young  men  from  all  parts  of  our  great  country 
are  drawn  here  to  give  their  life's  work  and  energy, — to 
cast  their  lot  within  her  borders  with  the  hope  of  realizing 
their  ambitions,  only  to  stand  in  the  chill  night  air  without 
the  walls  of  these  palaces  of  luxury,  listening  to  the  strains 
of  sweet  music  that  carries  their  thoughts  to  loved  and 
lov  ng  ones  left  at  home, — to  lose  themselves  in  thoughts 
of  happy  boyhood  days,  while  wondering  if  fickle  fortune 
will  ever  favor  them.  To  them  the  doors  of  these  palaces 
are  never  opened,  though  the  Uase  man  and  the  roiie  may 
find  ready  access  to  their  inner  mysteries.  It  is  this  I 
meant  when  I  said  I  enjoyed  myself  to-night.  I  could 
have  been  content  to  have  sat  in  the  shade  of  these  walls 
without  a  word.  The  change  was  what  was  needed  ;  and 
one  family  like  Mr.  Graham's  has  the  power  for  much  good 
among  us  young  men.  The  more's  the  pity  there  are  not. 
more  of  them.  It  is  the  absence  of  home  surroundings 
that  drives  so  many  of  the  college  boys  and,  I  dare  say,  the 
clerks,  too,  to  seek  recreation  and  enjoyment  in  the  billiard 
halls  and  gaming  hells.      After  these  young  men   have 


42  FOILED. 

become  habitual  visitors  at  these  places,  society  points  the 
finger  of  scorn  at  them  and  says — '  See  the  cliiiracter  of 
these  men  !  is  not  that  sufficient  reason  for  our  not 
recognizing  them  ?  '  Our  churches  make  no  allowance  for 
their  temptations  :  their. creed  is  of  rigid  iron  to  the  young 
men  without  power  or  station,  while  to  the  men  of  wealth 
and  power  it  is  of  most  flexible  steel.  The  ministers 
choose  their  words  with  greatest  care,  that  they  may 
not  offend  the  wealthy  men  of  their  congregations.  With 
them  thus  uncared  for,  what  can  you  expect  will  be  their 
lives  as  men  !  I  tell  you  that  society  is  on  a  wrong  founda- 
tion. The  man  who  steals  many  thousands  from  his 
employer  is  spoken  of  as  in  financial  difficulty  ;  but  society 
does  not  close  its  doors  upon  him.  The  Jean  Valjean  who 
takes  a  loaf  of  bread  from  the  baker's  window  to  feed  his 
starving  children  is  a  thief,  and  society  brands  him  as  such 
forevermore.  The  man  and  wife  who  find  enjoyment  in 
their  little  home  are  beneath  society's  notice  ;  while  the 
flashily  dressed  dolls  of  fashion,  no  matter  how  their  posi- 
tion is  obtained,  are  leaders,  and  all  others  but  poor  competi- 
tors in  the  unsatisfying  race.  Thank  heaven  !  I  have 
neither  the  means  or  time  to  follow  after  such  jileasures, 
and  by  the  time  I  have,  I  hope  that  I  will  have  learned 
that  they  do  n(^t  satisfy." 

Arthur  was  rapidly  approaching  the  condition  of  home- 
sickness so  common  to  those  of  his  age,  and  his  mother's 
'exclamation  of  "  Poor  boy  ! "  did  not  tend  to  help  matters  ; 
so,  hastily  bidding  them  good-bye,  he  rushed  down  the 
steps  on  his  way  home,  where  in  the  night's  sleep  that 
followed  he  lost  his  thoughts  and  awakened  only  to  the 
memory  of  the  plet'sant  experiences  of  the  night  before. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MRS.    GRAHAM    REVEALS    HER    PLA]SrS. 

The  appearance  of  Arthur  in  the  household  of  Mr.  Gra- 
ham had  solved  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  problem  of 
Mrs.  Graham  in  regard  to  Bertha,  and  calling  her  to  a  seat 
by  her  side,  she  said  : 

'^  Now,  Bertha,  I  am  prepared  to  tell  you  more  of  my 
plans.  It  has  puzzled  me  a  great  deal  to  find  a  reason  for 
proposing  your  adoption  to  Mr.  Graham.  This  I  have  now 
found,  and  my  plan  is  to  have  Edith  marry  Arthur 
Howard." 

The  face  of  Bertha  grew  deathly  pale  as  she  listened  to 
Mrs.  Graham,  who  had  closely  watched  her  while  she  was 
speaking  and  quickly  noticed  the  change.  In  a  moment 
the  truth  flashed  across  her  mind,  then,  with  a  smile  of 
unutterable  scorn,  she  asked  : 

"  Can  it  be  that  you  have  been  pierced  so  soon  ?  Well, 
more's  the  chance  for  my  plan  succeeding  with  Edith  ; 
and  I  can  assure  you,  if  I  am  any  judge,  that  you  have  no 
cause  for  hope  with  Arthur.  At  present  he  has  no  thought 
of  love  for  either  you  or  Edith  ;  but  he  will  follow  fast 
enough  when  I  lead  him,  and  you  must  give  up  all  these 
foolish  notions  and  work  to  that  end,  for  in  this  way  alone 

43 


44  FOILED. 

can  we  succeed.  After  they  are  married,  the  house  will  be 
quiet  and  her  father  lonesome  ;  then  you  must  talk  of  leav- 
ing us,  and  I  will  propose  to  Mr.  Graham  that  we  adopt 
you  as  our  daughter,  to  make  company  for  us  ;  this  done, 
and  you  will  be  entitled  to  one-third  of  his  estate  and 
Edith  will  get  that  much  less  ;  this  you  will  divide  with 
me,  and  still  have  enough  to  make  you  independent  for  the 
rest  of  your  life." 

"  This  will  take  a  long  time,"  suggested  Bertha,  wearily. 

'''Tis  true,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  "but  why  need  we 
hurry  ?  Mr.  Graham  will  live  several  years  yet,  and  that 
will  give  us  ample  time,  while  in  the  meantime  you  will 
live  here  and  enjoy  the  same  benefits  as  if  it  was  already 
accomplished.     Do  we  understand  each  other.  Bertha  ?  " 

"  I  think  we  do,^^  replied  Bertha,  who  exhibited  but  little 
enthusiasm  in  the  matter. 

Whatever  Bertha's  feelings  toward  Arthur  had  been,  they 
were  now  changed  to  deepest  hatred.  Mrs.  Graham  knew 
human  nature  only  too  well  when  she  intimated  to  Bertha 
that  Arthur  spurned  her,  and  her  first  impulse  was  to 
openly  rebel ;  but  her  sense  of  dependence  upon  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham quickly  checked  these  feelings,  while  her  bitter 
thoughts,  as  she  chafed  at  the  position  in  which  she  found 
heiself,  made  her  moody  and  silent  for  many  days,  during 
which  her  friendship  for  Edith  was  seriously  strained,  but 
she  was  not  yet  prepared  to  break  with  her ;  and  thus,  in  a 
turmoil  of  doubt  between  her  fears  and  hatred,  Bertha  be- 
came a  puzzle  to  Edith  and  Arthur,  who,  encouraged  by  the 
urgent  invitations  of  Mr.  Graham  and  his  wife,  soon  found 
himself  a  regular  visitor  at  their  home,  it  being  customary 


FOILED.  45 

with  him  to  attend  the  Sunday  evening  service  at  the  church 
in  which  Mrs.  G-raham  was  a  leading  spirit.  As  might  nat- 
urally be  expected,  this  church  was  in  the  most  aristocratic 
portion  of  the  city,  the  congregation  made  up  of  the  most 
fashionable  residents  and  supplemented  with  a  choir  of  the 
most  noted  singers.  Nothing  less  would  have  suited  the 
refined  taste  of  Mrs.  Graham,  who  was  at  the  head  of  all 
its  entertainments  and  missionary  work,  while  in  all  things 
pertaining  to  the  church  she  was  the  all  in  all ;  and  it  was 
through  her  influence  that  Mr.  Graham  became  an  officer 
in  the  church,  her  idea,  as  she  expressed  it  to  Bertha,  being 
that  no  harm  could  come  to  her  by  reason  of  the  powerful 
position  thus  held. 

Fate  could  not  have  more  auspiciously  opened  the  way 
for  the  success  of  her  plans  concerning  Arthur  than  did 
the  natural  course  of  events.  To  Arthur,  her  home 
and  its  surroundings  was  the  Mecca  toward  which  all 
his  thoughts  turned  when,  tired  and  overburdened  with 
care,  he  sought  this  haven  of  rest  and  peace  ;  and  like  a 
weary  traveler  who  lies  ]irone  upon  the  earth,  and  seeing 
only  the  wide  expanse  of  blue  untroubled  heavens  above 
him,  feels  a  sense  of  peace  and  restfulness  stealing  over 
him,  too  indolently  blissful  to  ask  the  wherefore  or  why,, 
he  felt  himself  at  ease  surrounded  by  friends  willing  and 
ever  ready  to  welcome  him  and  counsel  and  advise  ;  and 
though  he  often  wondered  at  his  good  fortune,  he  felt  con- 
tent to  know  that  it  was,  without  inquiring  why.  Thus  by 
degrees  Mrs.  Graham  was  binding  him  by  cords  of  friend- 
ship and  gratitude  in  a  bond  that  appealed  to  his  every 
sense  of  manhood  and  justice,  and,  as  Mrs.  Graham  Avell 


46  FOILED. 

knew,  with  Arthur  these  could  not  be  easily  broken.  As 
time  passed  she  felt  that  she  held  him  completely  in  her 
power,  ever  ready  and  willing  to  serve,  while,  without  real- 
izing it,  he  was  being  thrown  more  and  more  into  Edith's 
society,  where,  blind  and  intoxicated  with  pleasure,  he 
followed  so  readily  that  Mrs.  Graham  often  wondered  if  she 
lead  at  all,  until,  conscious  of  her  power,  she  sought  an 
opportunity  to  sj)eak  with  him,  and  ushering  him  into  the 
parlor,  said,  with  a  knowing  smile: 

''Edith  and  Bertha  have  gone  out  for  a  short  time,  but 
sit  down  and  I  will  entertain  you  as  best  I  can  until  Edith 
returns.'' 

Arthur  quickly  caught  the  meaning  of  her  words,  and  a , 
flash  of  worried  pain  shot  across  his  brow  as  he  thought — 
"  Have  I,  then,  shown  Edith  such  noticeable  attention  as  to 
cause  remark  ?  "  He  sat  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then, 
as  if  waking  from  a  blissful  dream,  while  a  sense  of 
his  humiliation  closed  about  him,  he  said  : 

"  Mrs.  Graham,  I  have  always  visited  here  with  a  full 
sense  of  the  honor  you  do  me  by  admitting  me  to  your 
family  circle — I  may  say,  as  one  of  it.  I  have  been  cheered 
and  comforted  to  struggle  on  by  the  fresh  courage  I  have 
here  gained.  I  have  spoken  of  my  hopes  and  aspirations, 
my  doubts  and  fears.  This  has  been  the  home  of  my  relax- 
ation, and  in  its  quiet  and  seclusion  I  have  been  frank  and 
open.  But  during  all  these  pleasant  hours  I  have  never 
forgotten  the  difference  in  our  station.  If,  then,  I  have 
overstepped  the  bounds  of  propriety  in  my  attentions  to 
Edith,  I  can  only  say  that  no  one  regrets  it  more  than  I, 
and  my  apology  must  be  that  it  was  unintentional." 


FOILED.  47 

Mrs.  Graham  saw  that  her  meaning  had  not  heen  under- 
stood, and  that  Arthur  would  now  be  more  cautious  than 
ever,  unless  before  she  loft  him  he  thoroughly  understood 
her  desires  ;  so,  with  a  light,  easy  laugh,  she  said  : 

"  Your  fears,  Arthur,  are  entirely  unwarranted.  I  know 
full  well  that  to  the  young  the  society  of  those  near  their 
own  age  is  far  more  agreeable  than  that  of  those  their  sen- 
iors. Beside  this,  I  have  watched  your  actions  while  here, 
and  I  can  truly  say  that  they  have  been  entirely  satisfactory 
to  both  Mr.  Graham  and  myself.  We  feel  that  you  have 
a,  high  sense  of  honor,  and  are  entirely  willing  to  leave  to 
you  the  guidance  of  your  course." 

"  If  he  does  not  understand  my  meaning  now,*'  thought 
Mrs.  Graham,  "  it  is  clearly  his  own  fault." 

The  return  of  Edith  and  Bertha  at  this  moment  inter- 
rupted their  conversation,  and  hastily  rising,  Mrs.  Graham 
iad  only  time  to  say:  "  I  may  want  to  speak  to  you  again 
on  this  subject."  Then  entering  the  hall,  she  told  Edith 
that  Arthur  was  waiting  for  her  in  the  parlor,  and  as  Edith 
•disappeared  from  sight  she  took  Bertha's  arm  and  led  her 
away  in  the  opposite  direction. 

Arthur  had  been  greatly  annoyed  by  his  conversation 
with  Mrs.  Graham,  and  Edith's  entrance  was  a  welcome 
relief. 

"We  were  not  certain  that  you  would  come,"  began 
Edith,  "and  so  thought  we  would  not  wait  on  an  uncer- 
tainty— or  on  you,  either.  But  tell  me  how  it  happens  that 
you  have  so  greatly  offended  Bertha  ?  " 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  I  had  done  so,"  replied  Arthur, 
with  no  little  astonishment. 


48  FOILED. 

"  Well,  something  has  occurred/'  said  Edith,  positively, 
"  for  she  feels  very  bitterly  toward  you." 

"How  did  you  find  that  out,"  inquired  Arthur,  earn- 
estly ;  "what  did  she  say  ?" 

"0,  nothing  in  particular,"  replied  Edith;  "but  I 
thought  you  knew  the  cause,  and  only  asked  in  the  hope  that 
I  might  be  able  to  set  you  right." 

"For  that  reason,"  replied  Arthur,  earnestly,  "I  ask 
you  to  tell  mo  what  she  said." 

"  0,  she  said  very  little  about  the  matter,"  replied 
Edith,  evasively,  "  but  her  manner  indicated  that  she 
hated  even  the  mentioning  of  your  name  ;  and  in  speaking 
of  you  she  said  you  would  never  graduate  ;  you  thought 
you  were  awful  smart,  but  you  had  not  brains  enough  to 
pass  even  a  creditable  examination." 

"Well,  if  that  was  all,"  replied  Arthur,  laughing,  "I 
ought  not  to  complain,  for  I  half  believe  it  -myself.  But  it 
is  not  very  consoling,  for  all  that." 

"Well,  I  do  not  believe  it,  nor  do  you,  either,"  replied 
Edith,  with  some  warmth  ;  "you  must  and  will  graduate." 

"Well,  a  few  more  weeks  will  tell,"  replied  Arthur, 
doubtfully. 

"Yes,  a  few  more  weeks  and  we  shall  know.  And  now 
I  want  to  tell  you  of  a  surprise  I  have  in  store  for  you," 
said  Edith,  exultingly.  "I  am  expecting  a  cousin  to 
visit  me,  and  I  have  found  out  that  she  is  also  a  cousin  of 
yours." 

"Then  you  and  I  must  be  cousins,"  replied  Arthur, 
quickly,  as  he  looked  up  at  Edith,  inquiringly. 

"0,    no ;    that   docs  not  follow   at  all.     Your    uncle. 


FOILED.  49 

Ralph  Gerald,  many  years  ago  married  my  aunt  Lucy,  and 
now  lives  in  a  small  village  in  the  East.  Their  daughter 
Florence  is.  my  cousin,  but  you  cannot  claim  me  as  your 
cousin  on  so  slight  a  pretext  as  that,"  and  Edith  laughed 
heartily  at  his  mystification. 

"Well,  then,  I  suppose  we  will  have  to  call  her  the  con- 
necting link,"  said  Arthur,  demurely. 

"  0,  I  have  no  objection  to  that,"  archly  replied  Edith. 

''  Well,  I  can  assure  you  that  I  shall  await  her  coming 
with  considerable  interest,"  replied  Arthur,  laughing. 

"And  desert  us  entirely,  I  dare  say,"  replied  Edith, 
gayly.  "But  come,  there  is  the  tea  bell,  and  we  must 
go,"  and  Edith,  with  the  freedom  and  innocence  of  a  sis- 
ter, took  his  arm  as  he  led  her  to  the  table. 

As  he  entered  the  room  with  Edith,  and  his  eyes  met 
Mrs.  Graham's,  he  recalled  her  conversation,  and  with  ill- 
concealed  confusion  hastily  seated  Edith,  determined  to 
make  amends  by  being  more  attentive  to  Bertha. 

"  So  you  and  Edith  have  been  out  for  a  walk  ?  "  began 
Arthur,  as  he  turned  toward  Bertha. 

As  if  in  doubt,  Bertha  looked  first  at  Edith  and  then  at 
Arthur,  and  curtly  answered — "Yes,  sir!"  then  turning 
to  Mrs.  Graham  she  resumed  an  apparently  interrupted 
conversation. 

Edith,  all  unconscious  of  these  occurrences,  maintained 
her  usual  flow  of  conversation,  and  Arthur  was  forced,  even 
against  his  resolve,  to  continue  to  pay  his  addresses  to  her. 

"  Fm  having  some  queer  experiences,"  thought  Arthur, 
"  and  what  Edith  said  about  Bertha  seems  to  be  true,  but 
I  know  not  why ;  and  even  Mrs.  Graham  seems  unusually 

4 


50  FOILED. 

attentive  to  Bertha's  conversation.  I  wisli  Mr.  Graham  were 
here,  for  then  I  could  at  least  divide  my  attentions  to  Edith." 
And  so  with  his  roving  thoughts  he  made  but  half-hearted 
replies  to  Edith,  while  for  the  first  time  her  companionship 
did  not  seem  as  agreeable  as  formerly  ;  and  as  they  led  the 
way  on  their  return  from  the  table,  Arthur  boldly  entered 
the  sitting-room,  determined  to  bring  about  a  more  general 
conversation  ;  but  to  his  surprise,  Mrs.  Graliam  and  Bertha 
passed  the  open  door  and  made  their  way  to  the  parlor, 
where,  seating  themselves,  they  continued  their  conversa- 
tion. 

*'  Your  mother  and  Bertha  seem  to  be  very  mtich  occupied 
this  evening,"  said  Arthur,  inquii'ingly,  turning  toward 
Edith. 

"  0,  I  dare  say  Bertha  has  some  interesting  story  she  is 
telling,"  said  Edith,  carelessly. 

"But  Mrs.  Graham  seems  to  be  doing  most  of  the  talk- 
ing," said  Arthur,  pointedly. 

'•'Well,  then,  I  don't  know  what  it  is,"  replied  Edith, 
noticing  Arthur's  abstracted  manner,  and  to  whom  his  visit 
seemed  more  constrained  than  ever  before. 

In  doubt  as  to  Mrs.  Graham's  feelings,  and  puzzled  by 
the  change  that  had  taken  place,  Arthur  decided  to  take 
his  leave,  and  determine  what  his  future  course  should  be 
before  he  called  again.  As  he  arose  to  leave,  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham's watchful  eyes  detected  his  intention,  and  she  quickly 
stepped  to  his  side,  saying — 

"You  are  not  going,  are  you,  Arthur  ?" 

"Yes,  I  think  I  had  better  be  going,"  replied  Arthur, 
quietly. 


FOILED.  51 

This  did  not  suit  Mrs.  Graham's  plans,  and  she  inquired, 
with  some  surprise:  ''What  is  the  cause  for  your  hurry, 
Arthur ;  liave  you  not  been  pleasantly  entertained  ?  "  and 
she  shot  an  angry  glance  at  Edith. 

"  0,  yes,"  replied  Arthur,  with  a  reassuring  smile, 
*'  I  have  been  very  pleasantly  entertained,  but  I  must 
leave  you  now,"  and  stepping  into  the  parlor  where 
Bertha  sat,  with  no  apparent  intention  of  noticing  him,  he 
said,  as  he  extended  his  hand — "  Well,  Bertha,  I  shall 
have  to  bid  you  good-night." 

"  Good-night,"  replied  Bertha,  without  lifting  her  eyes 
from  the  book  in  which  she  seemed  to  be  most  deeply 
interested. 

Her  manner  vividly  brought  to  Arthur^s  mind  the  words 
of  Edith,  and  quickly  determining  to  know  its  cause,  he 
asked : 

"What  have  I  done  to  offend  you.  Bertha  ?  " 

"  Nothing  that  I  know  of,"  replied  Bertha,  flushing 
slightly. 

"  But  you  are  displeased  at  something,"  said  Arthur, 
confidently  ;  "  will  you  not  tell  me  what  it  is  ?  " 

"I  cannot,"  said  Bertha,  desperately. 

"  We  can  at  least  part  as  friends,"  said  Arthur,  earnestly, 
as  he  again  extended  his  hand. 

Bertha  silently  took  his  hand,  and  Arthur  could  not  but 
notice  its  trembling ;  but  he  little  knew  the  tumult  that 
was  raging  in  Bertha's  mind. 

"It  is  strange,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  passionately,  as 
Arthur  left  her  alone  with  Edith,  "that  you  cannot  behave 
like  a  lady  and  make  it  pleasant  for  Arthur  during  the 
short  time  he  visits  here." 


52  FOILED. 

Edith  had  been  greatly  puzzled  by  Arthur's  actions,  and 
now  Mrs.  Graham's  reproof  confirmed  her  belief  that  in 
some  manner  she  had  unwittingly  oif ended  him,  and,  all 
unconscious  of  Mrs.  Graham's  object,  she  doubtfully 
inquired : 

"But  how  have  I  offended  him,  Mrs.  Graham  ?" 

This  was  a  puzzling  question,  but  Arthur's  entrance  at 
this  moment  saved  the  necessity  of  a  rej)ly,  and  turning  to 
him  with  a  gracious  smile,  Mrs.  Graham  said: 

"  I  trust,  Arthur,  that  you  will  soon  come  again,  and  we 
will  try  and  make  it  pleasant  for  you.  Good-night ! "  and 
Mrs.  Graham  cordially  extended  her  hand.  Then,  turn- 
ing to  Edifh,  she  asked,  with  a  half  command — "  Will  you 
be  kind  enough  to  see  Arthur  to  the  door  ?" 

When  out  of  her  hearing,  Edith  turned  to  Arthur  and 
said,  anxiously: 

'^Arthur,  I  am  afraid  I  have  not  treated  you  as  you  de- 
serve, but  it  was  only  carelessness  and  entirely  uninten- 
tional ;  may  I  expect  your  forgiveness  ?  " 

"  Forgiveness  for  what  ?"  inquired  Arthur  in  astonish- 
ment. 

'^  Well— I  hardly  know,"  replied  Edith,  doubtfully, 
"unless  it  be  for  my  manner." 

"I  wouldn't  forgive  you  if  you  changed  your  manner," 
replied  Arthur,  impulsively  ;  "  it  could  not  be  for  the  better. 
And  now  I  must  bid  you  good  bye  for  some  time,*as  I 
shall  not  soon  see  you  again ;  but  when  I  do,  I  will  have 
good  news  for  you  or  I  will  have  to  confess  that  I  have  not 
'brains  enough  to  pass  even  a  creditable  examination.' " 

"I   have  no  fear  of  the  result,"  replied  Edith,    confi- 


FOILED.  53 

dently  ;  "  but  promise  me  that  you  will  come  as  soon  as 
you  can." 

\'  I  will,"  replied  Arthur.     "  Good-night  !  " 

"Ah,  Bertha,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  as  with  a  satisfied 
smile  she  returned  to  the  parlor,  "if  Edith  will  only  give 
Arthur  some  little  encouragement  I  feel  sure  that  our  plans 
will  succeed.  He  is  a  splendid  fellow,"  continued  Mrs. 
Graham,  all  unmindful  of  Bertha's  feelings,  "and  will 
make  Edith  a  better  husband  than  she  deserves — though  I 
was  not  thinking  of  that  when  I  planned  it," — and  Mrs. 
Graham  laughed  pleasantly  at  the  thought  of  her  success  ; 
"and  the  best  of  it  is,  that  I  have  no  trouble  with  him,  he 
does  just  what  I  want  him  to  and  in  the  most  pleasing  way, 
while  he  seems  to  know  what  I  desire  before  I  have  time  to 
tell  him." 

"  I  believe  you  are  half  in  love  with  him  yourself,"  said 
Bertha,  with  a  mixture  of  sadness  and  hatred  in  her 
voice. 

"  Xo,  Bertha,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  pensively,  "I 
have  no  weakness  for  sickly  sentiment  like  that.  I  was 
moulded  too  matter  of  fact  for  that  ;  but — Well,  what  do 
you  want  now  ? "  said  Mrs.  Graham,  petulantly,  as 
Edith  appeared  at  the  door. 

"  I  came  to  ask  you  if  you  could  tell  me  in  what  way  I 
have  offended  Arthur  ?  "  began  Edith,  hesitatingly. 

"If  you  were  not  an  idiot  you  could  see  for  yourself,'" 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  angered  at  her  boldness  in  asking,  the 
question. 

"  I  asked  in  the  hope  that  I  might  be  able  to  avoid  it  in 
the  future,"  replied  Edith,  sadly.  "I  cannot  willingly 
offend  Arthur,  and  do  not  see  how  I  have." 


54  FOILED. 

"If  you  can  make  up  your  mind  to  appreciate  Arthur 
and  understand  that  he  thinks  more  of  you  than  he  would 
of  a  sister,  you  would  have  no  trouble,"  replied  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, significantly,  though  somewhat  mollified  by  the  rev- 
elation Edith  had  unwittingly  made. 

"I  will  try,"  replied  Edith,  half  mournfully,  as  she 
silently  left  the  room. 


CHAPTER  V. 

AYE,    that's   the    KEY   THAT    UNLOCKS    THE    MYSTERY  1 

Time  hung  heavily  on  Edith's  hands  when  Arthur's 
accustomed  time  for  coming  passed  without  liis  being 
present,  and  at  these  times  she  often  found  her  thoughts 
turning  toward  him  in  her  anxiety  for  his  success  ;  and 
Mrs.  Graham,  feeling  that  it  was  to  her  advantage  to 
encourage  her  in  these  thoughts,  often  turned  the  conver- 
sation in  that  direction. 

"  It  has  been  a  long  time  since  Arthur  has  been  with  us,'' 
began  Mrs.  Graham  one  evening  as  they  were  all  gathered 
in  the  library. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  "he  is  no  doubt  busily 
engaged  with  his  books  about  these  times." 

"It  must  be  no  easy  matter  for  him  to  keep  up  in  his 
studies  while  attending  to  his  other  duties,"  continued  Mrs, 
Graham. 

"It  is  a  wonder  that  he  can  do  so  at  all,"  said  Mr. 
Graham,  earnestly. 

"  Ho  certainly  exhibits  some  fine  points  of  character," 
suggested  Mrs.  Graham. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  "but  I  fear  he  may  break 
down  under  the  load.  I  noticed  the  last  time  I  saw  him 
that  he  looked  worried  and  very  pale." 

55 


56  FOILED. 

"If  he  does  succeed/'  interposed  Edith,  "it  will  be  by 
his  own  exertions." 

"■  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  "Arthur  is  one  of  a  thou- 
sand and  deserves  to  be  encouraged." 

"That  is  true/'  replied  Mr.  Graham,  thoughtfully; 
^'and  if  under  all  these  disadvantages  Arthur  Howard  is 
successful,  I  will  loan  him  the  money  to  start  in  business 
for  himself.  With  his  pluck  and  energy  and  my  years  of 
experience  I  feel  sure  he  could  soon  make  a  good  showing." 

Mrs.  Graham  looked  at  Bertha  with  a  knowing  smile, 
while  Bertha,  comprehending  its  full  meaning,  remained 
moody  and  silent. 

"Twill  hold  you  to  that  promise,"  said  Edith,  "fori 
know  he  will  succeed." 

"All  right,  daughter,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  pleasantly  ;  "if 
lie  succeeds  I  will  pay  the  forfeit." 

It  was  but  a  few  days  after  Mr.  Graham's  promise  that 
Arthur  entered  the  house,  his  face  flushed  with  success,  and 
rapidly  recounted  his  experiences 

"I  have  but  a  moment  to  stay,"  continued  Arthur,  all  out 
of  breath,  "but  I  wanted  you  all  to  know  the  good  news  : 
I  have  passed  my  examination  successfully,  and  will  grad- 
uate!" 

"  We  are  pleased  to  know  that  it  is  over  and  your  work 
well  done,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  kindly. 

"You  stood  at  the  head  of  your  class,  I  suppose  ?"  said 
Bertha,  sarcastically. 

"  No,  I  was  below  the  average,"  replied  Arthur,  as  he 
quickly  recognized  the  hidden  sting.  "But  I  was  well 
pleased  to  get  through  at  all." 


FOILED.  57 

^'0!"  replied  Bertha,  significantly. 

As  he  hastened  away,  Edith  followed  him  to  the  door, 
and  placing  her  hand  upon  his  arm  detained  him  long 
enough  to  say — "Father  has  promised  to  start  you  in  business 
for  yourself,  and  I  will  see  that  the  promise  is  fulfilled. 
Good-bye  ! " 

His  college  work  finished,  Arthur  once  more  resumed 
his  customary  visits  at  Mr.  Graham's  ;  and  it  was  not  long 
afterward  that  Mr.  Graham  offered  him  his  aid  in  starting 
in  business.  This  Arthur  eagerly  accepted,  and  in  a  short 
time  had  settled  down  to  a  business  life  that  gave  every 
promise  of  being  satisfactory  to  both  Mr.  Graham  and 
himself. 

It  would  have  been  impossible  for  either  Edith  or  Arthur 
to  have  named  the  time  when  they  first  became  interested  in 
each  other.  Arthur's  enthusiastic  ways,  coupled  with  his 
robust  youth,  had  early  interested  her,  while  his  trials  had 
intensified  her  desire  for  his  success.  She  had  thus 
been  drawn  toward  him  by  easy  stages,  the  progress  of 
which  she  did  not  realize.  Arthur  looked  upon  her  as  the 
daughter  of  his  most  valued  friend,  and  enjoyed  the  time 
spent  in  her  company,  realizing  in  her  his  grandest  thoughts 
of  woman.  Their  two  lives  were  thus  unknowingly  drift- 
ing down  the  torrent  that  knows  no  returning  tide. 

This  had  been  noticed  by  Mrs.  Graham,  and  at  her  first 
opportunity  she  called  Arthur  to  her  side,  and,  recalling 
her  former  conversation,  said,  with  a  knowing  smile  : 

"  Great  changes  have  occurred  since  our  last  conversation 
on  this  subject — eh,  Arthur  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  I  fully  appreciate  your  aid  towards  their  accom- 
plishment," replied  Arthur,  gratefully. 


58  FOILED. 

''  I  know  you  do,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  confidently, 
''and  our  closer  relations  gives  me  courage  to  speak  of 
another  subject  that  deeply  interests  us  both.  With  my 
love  for  Edith,  I  cannot  bear  to  see  her  affections  becoming 
deeper  and  deeper  entangled  with  each  succeeding  day 
without  giving  you  warning  of  it.  I  fully  recognize  that 
this  is  a  delicate  matter,  Arthur,  but  I  trust  that  my  great 
love  for  you  both  will  be  sufficient  excuse  for  my  speaking 
so  plainly." 

Edith's  entrance  at  this  moment  relieved  Arthur  from 
the  necessity  of  replying,  but  under  the  circumstances  her 
presence  was  equally  embarrassing;  and  when  Mrs.  G-ra- 
hani  soon  after  left  them  alone,  he  found  it  no  easy  matter 
to  entertain  her.  Mrs.  Graham's  strange  words  had  been 
so  unexpected  and  startling  in  their  revelations,  that  he 
could  not  overcome  the  feeling  of  depression  that  they  had 
created.  Edith  quickly  recognized  his  changed  manner 
and  moody  silence,  and  laying  her  hand  gently  onliis,  she 
said  : 

"Arthur,  something  troubles  you  ;  what  is  it  ?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  Edith  ;  I  hardly  know  what  it  is  my- 
self." 

•'Have  I  offended  you   in  anyway?"  inquired  Edith, 

anxiously. 

"No,  it  is  myself  that  offends  me  :  I  am  perplexed  and 
at  unrest  with  myself."  Then  rising,  he  silently  prepared 
to  take  his  leave,  while  Edith  followed  him  to  the  door, 
trusting  that  before  he  left  he  would  give  her  some  word  of 
explanation  ;  but  he  only  extended  his  hand,  and  said,  half 
mournfully— "Well,  Edith,  good-bye!" 


FOILED.  59 

''Why,  Arthur/'  said  Edith,  with  a  low,  startled  cry, 
"you  say  good-l)ye  as  if  forever  ! " 

"And  that  is  what  I  intend,  Edith,"  said  Arthur, 
firmly.  "I  feel  that  I  must  do  so,  though  much  against 
my  desires  ;  but  it  may  set  my  mind  at  rest." 

Edith  held  his  hand,  and  detaining  him,  said  : 

"  Can  you  not  tell  rae  why  you  are  at  unrest  ?" 

Arthur  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then,  looking  up  at 
her,  said : 

"  It  is  the  difference  in  our  station.  I  love  you,  Edith, 
firmly  and  truly  ;  hut  your  position  and  mine  are  so  widely 
apart  that  I  despair  of  ever  being  more  to  you  than  a 
friend,  and  it  will  be  better  for  us  both  if  we  do  not  meet 
again — at  least,  not  soon." 

"And  why  ?"  questioned  Edith,  with  wonderful  calm- 
ness. . 

"Why  ?"  repeated  Arthur,  in  astonishment;  "and  do 
you  ask  why  ?  Do  you  think  I  can  so  far  forget  the  obli- 
gations 1  am  under  to  you  and  yours  as  to  ask  you  to 
leave  a  home  like  this  and  cast  your  lot  with  me  ?  No, 
no  !  it  can  not  be  I  " 

"A  woman  that  would  not,  would  hardly  be  worthy  of 
the  name  of  wife,"  answered  Edith,  upon  whom  Arthur's 
agitation  had  the  effect  of  more  clearly  bringing  out  her 
more  noble  traits. 

"And  could  you  go  with  me  to  a  home  of  toil  and  com- 
parative poverty  without  regretting  it  ?  "  inquired  Arthur, 
wonderingly. 

"  I  could  ! "  replied  Edith,  firmly.  "  My  mother  did  it, 
and  so  could  I." 


60  FOILED. 

"  Well,  that  much  of  our  plan  is  accomplished  !  "  began 
Mrs.  Graham,  exultingly,  when  next  she  saw  Bertha  after 
Edith's  announcement  of  her  engagement  to  Arthur. 
"^Now  I  will  take  the  reins  and  have  them  married  in  short 
order. 

''I  think  your  last  talk  with  Arthur  must  have  made  an 
impression/'  said  Bertha. 

"Well,  it  was  plain  English,  and  I  guess  he  finally  un- 
derstood it,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham  with  evident  satisfac- 
tion. But  she  never  knew  how  near  her  plans  came  of  fail- 
ing. 

''Hush  !   there  comes  Edith,"  whispered  Bertha. 

"Well?"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  inquiringly,  as  Edith 
entered  the  room  and  thereby  interruj)ted  their  conversa- 
tion. 

"I  came  to  ask  if  you  had  finished  reading  this?"  said 
Edith,  laying  her  hand  upon  a  book  that  was  on  the  center 
table,  close  by  Mrs.  Graham's  arm. 

"No,  I  have  not,"  curtly  answered  Mrs.  Graham,  "but 
of  course  I  can  wait." 

"  I  will  not  take  it  if  you  desire  to  read  it,"  replied 
Edith,  quietly. 

"  I  should  think  you  could  better  employ  your  time  than 
by  moping  over  such  books  as  that,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
tartly. 

"I  would  willingly  do  so  if  I  knew  there  was  anything 
to  do,"  said  Edith,  quietly. 

*  •  If  you  kept  your  eyes  open  you  could  find  plenty  to 
do,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  contemptuously.  "  But  it  takes 
more  time  to  find  you  and  get  you  started  than  to  do  it 
myself." 


FOILED.  61 

"  Then  give  me  some  regular  work  and  I  will  see  that  it 
is  done  every  day/'  said  Edith,  determined,  if  possible,  to 
please  her, 

"  0,  no,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  languidly,  ''  I  will  con- 
tinue to  do  it  myself  and  save  you  the  exertion." 

''But,"  persisted  Edith,  "it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  me," 

"No  !"  said  Mrs.  G-raham,  angrily.  "  I  have  always  been 
forced  to  do  the  drudgery  while  you  played  lady.  You 
know  nothing,  and  can  do  nothing.  I  am  tired  of  seeing 
you  around,  and  will  be  only  too  well  pleased  when  you  are 
married  and  away." 

In  her  rage  Mrs.  Graham's  voice  had  gotten  into  its 
highest  key,  her  passions  plainly  showed  themselves  upon 
her  face,  when,  looking  up,  she  saw  Mr.  Graham  standing 
transfixed  in  the  doorway.  Mr.  Graham  loved  peace  above 
all  things,  and  was  willing  to  make  almost  any  sacrifice  to 
obtain  it ;  but  he  could  not  fail  to  fully  com]3rehend  the 
scene  presented  to  his  sight  as  he  entered  the  door  ;  and 
when  Mrs.  Graham  had  finished,  he  said,  quietly,  but  with 
a  gentle  firmness  that  could  not  be  misunderstood  : 

"We  shall  have  Edith  with  us  but  a  few  days  at  most, 
and  I  desire  that  those  days  be  made  as  pleasant  for  her  as 
possible." 

In  his  presence,  Mrs.  Graham  was  more  careful  of  her 
actions  toward  Edith  after  Mr.  Graham's  suggestion  to 
her,  and  Edith  fully  appreciated  it ;  but  she  was  only  too 
well  pleased  when  the  time  arrived  for  her  to  leave  her  old 
home  and  go  with  Arthur. 

Mrs.  Graham  made  elaborate  preparations  for  the  wed- 
ding, but  it  was  noticeable  that  the  guests  represented  but 


62  FOILED. 

a  small  proportion  of  Edith^s  companions  or  of  the  friends 
of  her  mother ;  the  new  faces  were  of  Mrs.  Graham's 
choosing,  and  Edith  had  but  little  to  say  in  regard  to  the 
preparations.  At  last  the  appointed  hour  arrived  for  "  Mrs. 
Graham's  receiotion,"  as  Edith  in  after  years  was  wont 
to  call  it,  and  Arthur  and  Edith  were  married  and  away. 
They  had  already  decided  upon  a  house  that  just  suited 
them  ;  and  soon  after  their  marriage  settled  down  to  the 
comforts  of  home  life,  Edith  busying  herself  with  her 
household  cares  during  the  day,  and  when  Arthur  returned 
in  the  evening  they  found  great  pleasure  in  recalling  the 
times  gone  by,  never  to  return  again. 

On  one  of  these  occasions  Artliur  turned  to  Edith  and 
laughingly  said  : 

''You  don't  seem  greatly  downcast,  Edith,  because  of 
leaving  home  and    coming  to  this  hovel." 

''Hovel  !  Why,  Arthur  !"  said  Edith  in  surprise.  "  It  is 
a  palace  compared  to  my  former  home.  It  gives  peace  and 
happiness,  and  that  is  more  than  I  have  ever  enjoyed  since 
the  coming  of  father's  second  wife.  The  old  saying,  'A 
mother's  a  mother  all  the  days  of  her  lifg,  and  a  father's  a 
father  till  he  get's  a  new  wife,'  proved  true  in  this  case, 
and  Mrs.  Graham's  sarcasm  and  venom  often  made  my  life 
a  burden." 

"  There  !  there  !  Edith,  you  ought  not  to  feel  that  way 
toward  Mrs.  Graham,"  replied  Arthur,  hastily.  "Let  by- 
gones be  bygones.  For  my  part,  I  never  saw  anything  in  Mrs. 
Graham  that  was  not  of  the  most  ladylike  character,  and 
I  am  sure  she  is  much  easier  to  get  along  with  than  Bertha. 
A  more  puzzling  case  than  she  I  never  found.     "Why  she 


FOILED.  63 

should  have  acted  so  strange  I  cannot  understand.  Then, 
too,  one  minute  she  is  as  ]ilcasant  as  a  summer's  day  ;  the 
next,  a  biting  frost.  I  can  only  account  for  our  misun- 
derstanding on  the  ground  of  incompatibility." 

''That  was  an  awful  big  word,  Arthur;  did  you  learn 
that  at  college  ?"  said  Edith,  laughing. 

"  Well,  big  or  little,  Edith,  I  have  made  up  my  mind 
that  if  she  persists  in  sitting  in  the  room  when  we  are 
there  I  shall  quickly  take  my  leave,  for  I  cannot  stand  her 
exasperating  ways,"  replied  Arthur,  determinedly. 

"  I  know  one  thing,  Arthur,  and  that  is  that  father  does 
not  like  hei-  actions  toward  you,"  replied  Edith,  consolingly. 

Arthur  had  from  the  first  the  ntmost  confidence  in  Mrs. 
Graham's  sincerity.  'Tis  true  her  talks  to  him  and  schem- 
ing in  regard  to  Edith  had  somewhat  broken  his  confidence 
in  her,  but  so  jilausible  were  her  reasons  for  all  she  did  that 
he  spurned  the  thought  of  ever  questioning  her  motives  ; 
and  so,  when  Edith  told  him  of  her  experience,  he 
attributed  it  to  a  misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  both, 
and  decided  to  do  all  he  could  to  discourage  Edith  in  her 
dislike  toward  his  tried  and  true  friend.  It  was  with  this 
object  in  view  that  he  often  persuaded  Edith,  though  much 
against  her  desires,  to  visit  her  old  home  with  him  ;  but 
Bertha's  actions  had  grown  to  be  so  marked  that  even  he 
sometimes  faltered  in  his  resolve.  It  was  on  one  of  these 
occasions  that  Arthur  found  her  so  exasperating  that  he 
hastily  withdrew,  his  cause  for  so  doing  being  readily  under- 
stood by  Mr.  Graham,  who,  as  he  returned  to  the  room 
after  bidding  Arthur  and  Edith  good-night,  said: 

"I  am  afraid.  Bertha,  that  your  remarks  hurt  Arthur's 
feelings." 


64  FOILED. 

"  0,  pshaw  ! "  laughingly  replied  Mrs.  Graham.  ''  Bertha 
only  spoke  in  general  terms  and  meant  nothing  by  what 
she  said." 

But  when  Bertha  went  to  her  room,  Mrs.  Graham  fol- 
lowed her,  and  closing  the  door,  stood  fixedly  looking 
at  her  until  Bertha  cowered  under  her  gaze.  Then  her 
rage  burst  its  bounds. 

*'Are  you  a  fool  ?"  demanded  Mrs.  Graham,  passion- 
ately. "Have  you  not  the  discretion  of  a  servant  girl  ? 
Your  conduct  is  simply  unbearable  !  I  had  intended  to 
speak  to  Mr.  Graham  to-night  of  our  plans  ;  now,  because 
of  your  folly,  it  will  have  to  be  delayed  for  weeks,  and  I 
may  be  unsuccessful  then.  In  the  meantime,  who  knows 
what  may  happen  !  Mr.  Graham  seldom  reproves  ;  but 
depend  upon  it,  when  he  does  his  words  do  not  express  the 
half  he  feels." 

Bertha's  long  experience  with  Mrs.  Graham  had  taught 
her  that  she  was  in  no  mood  to  receive  her  replies,  and  she 
wisely  held  her  peace.  And  she  judged  aright ;  for  after 
her  first  outburst  Mrs.  Graham  modulated  her  voice,  and 
with  un  entreating  look  at  Bertha,  said  : 

"  Why  will  you  not  help  me'? — or,  if  you  will  not  lielp, 
can  you  not  at  least  keep  you  hands  off  and  let  me  manage 
this  matter  ?  If  you  cannot  be  kind  to  Arthur,  you  can  at 
least  treat  him  decently  until  our  aim  has  been  accom- 
plished." 

"You  taught  me  to  hate  him,"  replied  Bertha,  bitterly, 
"and  now  censure  me  because  that  hatred  has  grown." 

"Aye,  you  are  an  apt  scholar  in  that  line  !"  sneeringly 
replied  Mrs.  Graham.     "Be  as  apt  in  learning  discretion 


FOILED.  65 

and  all  may  yet  be  well.  If  you  do  not,  you  leave  this 
house  a  beggar  ! " 

Bertha's  eyes  involuntarily  followed  her  as  she  silently 
left  the  room,  and  not  until  the  door  was  closed  between 
them  did  she  attempt  to  move.  Then,  sinking  into  a  chair, 
she  sobbed — ''Would  that  I  had  known  the  price  ere  I 
consented.  The  onl}^  one  I  ever  cared  for  is  now  as  far 
removed  as  earth  from  heaven.  Was  it  for  this  that  I  gave 
up  all,  only  to  find  myself  bound  in  an  intrigue  that  leaver 
me  no  escape  ! " 

Mrs.  Graham  saw  that  all  her  plans  were  liable  to  fail  if 
this  warfare  continued,  and  feeling  certain  of  her  hold  on 
Bertha,  she  determined  to  write  to  Arthur  and  place  the 
matter  in  such  a  light  that  all  would  once  more  be  pleasant. 
So  the  next  morning,  when  Arthur  opened  his  mail,  he 
found  her  letter,  and  with  some  curiosity  opened  it.  His 
astonishment  may  well  be  imagined  as  he  read : 

"  My  dear  Arthur  : 

"I  have  noticed  with  much  uneasiness  the  growing^ 
dislike  you  have  for  Bertha.  I  have  talked  with  Mr. 
Graham  about  this  matter  several  times,  and  last  evening, 
when  you  left  in  such  haste,  he  spoke  to  me  about  ity 
and  begged  me  to  hush  it  up  as  best  I  could,  for  he  is  so' 
ashamed  when  these  scenes  occur  that  I  find  it  troubles  himi 
for  days  afterward.  He  also  says  that  he  never  saw  a  person 
in  all  his  life  so  far  as  Bertha  is  from  assuming  rights  that 
do  not  belong  to  her.  We  would  be  dreadfully  ashamed  to 
have  it  known  that  this  feeling  existed. 

"As  to  her  making  herself  at  home  here,  she  was  invited 
to  come,  and  on  the  express  condition  that  she  must  make 
herself  at  home  and  not  expect  to  be  treated  as  company, 
or  even  waited  upon  as  such ;  and  it  was  on  this  under- 

5 


'66  FOILED. 

standing  that  she  came  as  and  to  be  one  of  the  family. 
Notwithstanding  this,  when  I  saw  the  way  Mr.  Graham 
felt  I  begged  of  him  to  turn  her  away  or  let  me  do  so,  and 
try  to  have  an  end  of  the  matter.  But  he  says  he  will  not, 
without  some  better  cause  ;  that  if  it  was  not  this  it  would 
be  something  else,  for  we  know  the  jealousy  and  prejudice 
on  Edith's  part  that  causes  all  this  trouble.  So  I  am  in  a 
strait  between  two.  I  want  to  jilease  you,  but  cauimt 
hear  to  do  anything  so  contrary  to  Mr.  Graham's  feelings. 
I  can  bear  anything  myself,  but  for  his  sake  I  do  with 
that  things  might  be  pleasant.  I  write  this  that  you  may 
know  how  matters  stand. 

"I  want  to  have  another  opportunity  of  talking  with  you 
as  soon  as  possible.  Meantime  I  am  yours,  with  many 
regrets  for  anything  unpleasant,  but  with  much  love, 
always,  Sakah  J.  Geaham. 

"P.  S.     Please  burn  this  as  soon  as  read.       S.  J.  G." 

"  It  has  then  come  to  this  I "  muttered  Arthur,  as  he  fin- 
ished reading  the  letter.  "  Had  it  been  told  me,  I  would  not 
have  believed  it.  Am  not  I  the  one  that  has  been  wronged  ? 
If  Mr.  Graham  can  show  me  where  I  have  wronged  Bertha  I 
will  willingly  apologize,  but  I  know  he  cannot.  "Well,  I'll 
hand  him  this  letter  and  demand  his  reasons  for  saying  what 
he  has  ;  that  will  put  him  to  the  test." 

When  Mr.  Graham  entered  Arthur's  office  his  cheery 
good  morning  did  not  sound  as  welcome  as  usual  to  Arthur, 
who,  in  reply,  handed  him  the  letter,  asking  him  to  read  it. 

Arthur  took  a  position  where  he  could  watch  the  ex- 
pression of  his  face,  and  saw  the  unconcern  with  which 
he  opened  the  letter, — the  look  of  curiosity  as  he  read  the 
first  lines,  then  the  deathlike  paleness  that  came  over  him 
as  he  finished  reading  it. 


FOILED.  67 

As  Arthur  watched  these  changes,  all  his  heat  and  iiassion 
deserted  him,  while  in  their  place  came  only  pity  for  his 
old  and  well-tried  friend,  yet  he  knew  not  the  cause. 

Mr.  Graham's  hands  trembled  as  he  replaced  the  letter, 
and  lianding  it  to  Arthur,  with  quivering  lips,  said  : 

"Arthur,  destroy  it,  and  don't  tell  any  one  of  it,  not  even 
Editli." 

"Is  it  true  ?"  demanded  Arthur,  hoarsely. 

'*  No!"  faintly  answered  Mr.  Graham,  with  a  groan — -"^it 
is  not  !  " 

Can  it  be,  thought  Arthur,  that  this  woman  would  delib- 
erately do  an  act  like  this,  knowing  that  Avhat  she  wrote 
was  false !  I  cannot  i;nderstand  why  she  should  resort 
to  such  desperate  measures!  She  must  have  known 
that  I  could  easily  hand  it  to  Mr.  Graham.  But — aye  ! 
that's  the  key  that  unlocks  the  mystery  !  She  felt  that  she 
was  safe  from  that,  and  had  I  not  asked  Mr.  Graham  for 
his  side  of  tlie  story  she  would  have  been  safe.  Ah,  shrewd, 
designing  woman  that  she  is  !  She  well  knew  that  this  is 
not  often  done.  I'll  now  make  it  my  duty  to  study  her 
until  I  know  her  thoroughly. 

This  subject  was  never  afterward  referred  to  by  them, 
yet  Mr.  Graham  seemed  now  more  readily  to  consent  that 
the  visiting  between  them  should  be  mostly  on  his  part ; 
and  as  Mrs.  Graham  never  failed  to  attend  the  weekly  meet- 
ings of  her  sewing  society,  he  took  this  opportunity  to 
visit  his  children,  as  he  was  pleased  to  call  Edith  and 
Arthur.  At  these  times  his  thouglits  and  conversation 
were  often  of  the  days  when  he  and  Edith's  mother  were 
starting  in  life  under  similar  circumstances,  and,  as  Edith 


68  FOILED. 

often  remarked  to  Arthur,  he  seemed  to  live  over  again  the 
happy  days  of  his  early  married  life.  These  visits  had  con- 
tinued for  sometime,  when  One  day  Mrs.  Graham  was  com- 
pelled to  return  home,  owing  to  a  slight  indisposition,  and 
coming  into  the  house  at  the  usual  dinner  hour  was  greatly 
surprised  to  find  that  no  preparations  had  been  made  for 
the  noonday  meal.  On  finding  the  cause,  and  that  this 
had  been  Mr.  Graham's  custom  for  some  little  time,  her 
rage  was  unbounded  ;  and,  like  a  caged  tigress,  she  paced 
the  floor  during  the  hours  of  her  waiting  for  his  return. 

All  unconscious  of  what  was  m  store  for  him,  Mr.  Gra- 
ham entered  the  room,  where  he  was  met  by  his  now  infu-" 
riated  wife. 

''  So  you  have  been  down  to  Ediths,  have  you  ?"  began 
Mrs.  Graham,  with  flashing  eyes.  "  It  seems  that  every 
time  I  step  out  of  the  house  you  must  run  down  there,  as 
if  it  were  the  only  place  you  cared  to  stay,  and  your  home 
and  wife  were  disagreeable  to  you." 

"  I  thought  you  were  going  to  stay  at  the  sewing  society, 
as  usual,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  soothingly,  "and  as  it  is 
more  pleasant  to  have  company  than  to  eat  alone,  I 
thought  I  would  visit  the  children." 

''0,  you  did  !"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  sneer,  "and 
I  am  to  take  this  as  notice  to  me  to  give  up  the  sewing 
society  and  stay  at  home  to  be  company  for  you  ?  Well,  I 
knew  when  I  married  you  that  I  should  have  to  be  your 
slave,  but  I  hardly  thought  it  would  come  to  this  !  "  And 
she  swept  past  him  out  of  the  room. 

Mr.  Graham's  heart  often  yearned  for  another  visit  to 
Edith's,  but  this  was  his  last ;  and  as  he  was  deprived  of 


FOILED.  69 

her  society  more  and  more,  he  grew  to  miss  her  presence  in 
her  old  home  and  be  very  lonesome  because  of  her  absence. 
More  than  a  year  had  passed  since  Edith's  marriage,  and 
yet  Mrs.  Graham  had  found  no  favorable  opportunity  to 
ask  Mr.  Graham  to  adopt  Bertha  ;  and  as  one  time  seemed 
to  be  no  more  favorable  than  another,  she  had  at  last  grown 
so  desperate  as  to  determine  that  she  would  wait  no  longer. 
So  one  evening,  after  she  had  made  her  conversation  a  little 
more  pleasing  than  usual,  she  said  to  Mr.  Graham  : 
"  Do  you  know  that  Bertha  intends  leaving  us  soon  ?  " 
"I  had  not  heard  of  it,"  replied   Mr.  Graham,  in  sur- 
prise.    "  I  thought  she  was  a  permanent  member  of  our 
household." 

''I  sincerely  wish  she  were,  Stewart,  for  I  am  heart-sick 
at  the  thought  of  her  leaving.  The  house  will  be  veiy 
lonesome  without  her." 

/'If  it  gives  you  pleasure,  she  is  welcome  to  remain  in 
our  house  as  long  as  she  desires,"  replied  Mr.  Graham, 
earnestly.  ''  Can  you  not  prevail  upon  her  to  remain  ?  " 
"  Stewart,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  impressively,  "  if  we  were 
to  adopt  her  as  our  child  w^e  could  keep  her  and  have  a 
daughter  to  comfort  us  in  our  old  age." 

Mr.  Graham  for  a  moment  looked  his  wife  full  in  the 
face,  as  if  he  doubted  that  he  lieard  correctly,  and  then 
said,  slowly  : 

"While  I  am  not  sure  that  I  want  her  to  stay,  I  am  sure 
she  can  never  be  a  daughter  of  mine.  I  have  but  one 
daughter,  and  as  for  Bertha's  taking  her  place,  it  is  impos- 
sible." 

He  rarely  spoke  so  positively  to  her,  and  Mrs.  Graham 


70  FOILED. 

fully  realized  that  her  plans  had  failed  ;  but  her  nerve  and 
self-reliance  did  not  desert  her,  as,  in  a  voice  that  showed 
no  signs  of  her  defeat,  she  replied  : 

''  I  have  no  feeling  in  the  matter ;  I  simply  made  the 
suggestion  for  you  to  accept  or  reject,  as  you  saw  fit." 

''I  trust  the  subject  will  not  be  referred  to  again, — to 
me  it  is  not  a  pleasant  one,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  as  he 
arose  and  left  the  room. 

Mrs.  Graham  sat  absorbed  with  her  thoughts.  She  was 
inclined  to  take  her  defeat  philosophically,  but  found  it 
hard  to  submit  after  her  long  and  persistent  efforts.  As  she 
sat  thus  meditating,  the  door  opened  and  Bertha  entered 
the  room.     Looking  up,  Mrs,  Graham  said  : 

"Well,  Bertha,  I  have  spoken  to  Mr,  Graham  and  he 
has  rejected  the  proposal  so  i)ositively  as  to  leave  no  doubt 
of  his  meaning.  I  am  sorry,  but  you  have  yourself  to 
thank  that  it  is  so.  Your  actions  toward  Arthur  were 
alone  sufficient  to  make  Mr,  Graham  dislike  you,  and  I 
have  some  fear  that  he  knows  of  that  letter  I  wrote  to 
Arthur." 

"'Now  that  it  is  settled,"  replied  Bertha,  "  I  feel  a  sense 
of  relief  more  than  disappointment.  The  position  it  j^laced 
me  in  was  all  but  pleasant,  and  many  times  I  have  bitterly 
repented  that  I  ever  consented,  Mrs,  Graham,  it  was  a 
scheme  that  no  honorable  woman  ought  to  propose  or 
entertain.  Thank  God  !  I  have  not  so  strong  a  love  of 
money  as  to  make  me  willingly  sell  my  soul  to  obtain  it. 
After  I  consented,  I  saw  no  way  by  which  I  could  retract ; 
but  now  I  am  pleased  to  know  that  I  am  free." 

"  You  are  a  fool !"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  in  disgust,   "  You 


FOILED.  71 

talk  more  like  a  babbling  babe  than  the  woman  I  supposed 
you  were." 

''Don't  let  us  quarrel  over  this  matter,  Mrs  Graham," 
said  Bertha,  appealingly.  ''  We  have  been  friends  too  long 
for  that;  and  while  you  had  hope,  I  stood  by  you  to  the 
end." 

"  Yes,  so  you  did,  Bertha,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  half 
remorsefully,  "and  I  give  you  credit  for  your  help.  But 
your  will  power  all  flies  to  the  wind  in  our  defeat.  I  have 
no  use  for  that  kind  of  material — 'tis  only  fit  for  show,  to 
be  admired  by  the  idle  throng  ;  but  show  your  courage 
and  I  will  again  be  your  friend." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

YOU   HAVE    POISONED    HIM  ! 

''Arthur,  have  you  noticed  that  father  has  not  been  here 
for  several  days  ?  "  said  Edith  one  evening,  as  he  entered 
the  house. 

"  I  do,  Edith,  now  that  you  speak  of  it ;  but  what  makes 
you  ask  '<"' 

"1  am  afraid  he  is  sick,  Arthur,  or  he  would  have  been 
here  before  this." 

''  0,  no  ;  it  is  more  probable  that  he  has  been  engaged 
in  other  ways  and  has  not  had  the  time  to  visit  us,"  replied 
Arthur,  reassuringly. 

''But,  Arthur,  I  have  had  a  feeling  of  great  uneasiness 
all  day." 

"A  slight  attack  of  the  blues,  that's  all,"  interrupted 
Arthur,  laughing.  "Why,  if  he  were  sick  we  would  hear 
of  it  at  once.  What  more  natural  than  that  they  should 
inform  us  if  such  were  the  case." 

"  It  would  seem  so,  Arthur;  but  I  would  feel  more  at 
ease  if  we  were  to  call  and  find  out  for  ourselves." 

"Well,  we  can  do  that,"  replied  Arthur,  who  saw  that 
the  impression  had  taken  deep  hold  upon  Edith. 

Bertha  received  them  as  they  entered,  and   to  Edith's 


FOILED.  73 

questioning,  said:  ''Your  father  has  not  been  well  for 
several  days,  but  he  is  resting  easier  now,  and  we  trust  he 
will  be  lip  in  a  short  time." 

"  But  why  have  I  not  been  informed  of  this  ?  "  demanded 
Edith. 

"I  cannot  say,"  replied  Bertha.  "Mrs.  G-raham  is  with 
him  now  and  could  answer  you  better  than  I.  But,  Edith, 
I  think  you  need  not  bo  alarmed,  for  his  physician  says  all 
he  needs  is  rest  and  quiet  and  he  will  soon  recover." 

''Then  I  had  better  not  disturb  him  to-night,"  said 
Edith,  inquiringly. 

"I  might  ask  Mrs.  Graham  and  see  what  she  thinks," 
suggested  Bertha. 

"Do,  please." 

And  as  Bertha  disappeared,  Edith  turned  to  Arthur, 
saying  : 

"I  do  not  understand  why  we  were  not  notified." 

"  It  does  seem  strange,  Edith  ;  but  then  I  suppose  they 
were  all  busy  and  had  other  matters  to  think  of." 

"This  does  not  look  like  it,"  said  Edith,  holding  up  a 
piece  of  hand-painting  that  was  lying  on  the  table. 

"  But  that  may  be  Bertha's  work." 

"No,  Arthur,  it  is  Mrs.  G-raham's  and  has  but  recently 
been  laid  aside  ;  there  is  Bertha's  embroidery  over  there." 

"But,  Edith,  how  do  you  know  this  was  so  recently  laid 
aside  ?  " 

"  Can't  you  see  that  the  paint  has  not  had  time  to  dry  ? 
Bertha  is  evidently  teaching  her  to  paint  this  fancy  work 
while  she  works  at  her  embroidery." 

"Mrs.  Graham  says  it  would  be  as  well  not  to  disturb  your 
father  now,"  said  Bertha  as  she  entered. 


74  FOILED. 

"Then  I  will  come  in  the  morning,"  said  Edith,  "and 
shall  expect  to  see  him  then."  And  as  they  left  the  house 
she  said  :  "I  feel  as  if  I  was  a  stranger  in  that  house  now. 
I  could  not  help  but  notice  that  there  was  a  barrier  through 
which  I  could  not  pass.  Bertha  seems  to  be  free  to  enter 
where  I  cannot.'' 

"I  must  confess  it  had  that  appearance,"  said  Arthur, 
forced  to  admit  its  truth.  "  But  you  can  go  in  the  morn- 
ing and  sec  him  then." 

Mr.  Graham,  after  struggling  for  some  days  against  his 
sickness,  found  himself  at  last  unable  to  leave  liis  bed.  To 
a  man  of  his  age  this  was  a  serious  matter,  atid  feeling  that 
it  was  best  to  guard  against  even  possibilities,  he  said  to 
his  wife  : 

"I  wish  you  would  ask  my  lawyer,  Mr.  Bl(.)od,  to  come 
and  see  me  ;  I  wish  to  make  some  changes  in  my  will." 

"  0,  you  must  not  worry  with  that  now,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham.  "  You  will  be  well  again  in  a  few  days  and  can 
attend  to  it  then." 

"I  hope  I  shall,  but  I  fear,  not,"  replied  Mr.  Graham, 
despondingly. 

"The  best  way  to  regain  your  health  is  to  leave  off  wor- 
rying about  such  matters  as  these  and  think  of  more  cheer- 
ful subjects,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  tartly. 

"If  Mr.  Graham  gives  you  any  message  to  take  to  his 
lawyer,'"  began  Mrs.  Graham,  entering  the  room  where 
Bertha  sat,  "before  going  consult  me.  He  has  a  foolish 
notion  that  he  must  change  some  of  the  provisions  of  his 
will.  I^ow,  tliat  will  was  drawn  when  lie  was  in  health, 
and  I  am  fully  satisfied   with  it.      I  saw  it  drawn,  and  it 


FOILED.  75 

leaves  me  one-third  of  his  estate,  and  absolute  dictator  of 
the  amount  Edith  can  have  each  year,  and  gives  me  full 
control  of  his  entire  estate,  to  sell  or  lease  as  much  as  in 
my  judgment  may  seem  proper.  If  now  he  should  make 
changes,  I  know  not  what  their  effect  might  be,  and  I  must 
be  careful  to  prevent  his  undoing  that  which  he  really 
desires  to  accomplish;  so  you  do  as  I  request,  Bertha,  for 
his  sake  and  mine." 

"  I  have  no  desire  to  do  otherwise,"  replied  Bertha. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  over  the  matter,"  began  Mr.  Gra- 
ham, as  his  wife  again  entered  the  room,  "  and  I  think  you 
had  better  ask  Mr.  Blood  to  come." 

"I  thought  you  had  given  up  this  matter  until  you  once 
more  regained  your  health,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  with 
much  apparent  solicitude. 

"  I  feel  that  my  end  is  approaching,  and  that  I  shall 
never  again  be  well,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  looking  appeal- 
ingly  at  his  wife,  with  the  hope  that  she  might  accede  to 
his  request. 

"  You  must  be  more  courageous,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
bursting  into  tears;  "determine  that  you  will  live  and  half 

\the  battle  is  won.  This  done,  and  y,ou  will  the  more 
^(uickly  recover." 

"Well,  I  will  wait  until  the  doctor  comes,  and  if  he  says 
there  is  hope  I  will  try  to  believe  him  for  your  sake,"  said 
Mr.  Graham  wearily. 

When  good-natured  Dr.  Hammond  entered  the  house  he 
was  quickly  met  by  Mrs.  Graham,  who,  ushering  him  into 
the  parlor,  said : 

"I  wish  to  see  you  before  you  go  to  Mr.  Graham." 


76  FOILED. 

''  Your  husband  is  not  worse,  is  lie  ?"  hastily  inquired 
the  old  doctor. 

"No,  I  think  uot,^' replied  Mrs.  Graham,  thoughtfully; 
but  he  has  given  up  all  hope  of  recovery,  and  I  think  that 
alone  would  be  sufficient  to  make  the  result  doubtful.  I 
have  talked  to  him  of  it,  and  he  has  finally  consented  that 
if  you  will  assure  him  that  he  can  recover  he  will  try  and 
believe  it.  Now,  why  can  you  not  do  so,  and  thereby  give 
him  more  strength  than  all  your  medicines  can  ?" 

"Well,  Mrs.  G-raham,  I  certainly  can  do  that,  for  you 
know  that  while  there  is  life  there  is  hope,— sometimes 
very  little,  'tis  true,  and  this  is  one  of  those  cases." 

"  Do  you  then  think  there  is  but  little  hope  of  his  recov- 
ery ? "  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  the  ready  tears  springing  to 
her  eyes. 

"  It  can  do  no  harm  to  tell  you  the  truth,  Mrs.  Graham, 
especially  as  you  have  the  rare  good  judgment  to  exhibit 
no  alarm  in  his  presence.  I  regard  this  case  as  almost 
hopeless ;  his  age  is  against  him,  and  beside  this,  the  dis- 
ease is  almost  always  fatal." 

"How  long  do  you  think  he  can  live  ?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Graham,  eagerly. 

"0,  he  may  live  a  week,  but  more  probably  only  three 
or  four  days." 

Mrs.  Graham's  tears  prevented  her  making  any  reply, 
.and  Dr.  Hammond  quietly  stepped  to  the  bedside  of  his 
patient. 

"Is  it  you,  Doctor?"  said  Mr.  Graliam,  opening  his 
eyes. 

"Yes,"  i-eplied  the  doctor,  with  a  friendly  smile,"  and 


FOILED  77 

well  pleased  to  see  you  looking  so  much  better.  Your  color 
is  more  natural,  and  your  pulse  beats  stronger  and  more 
full  than  when  I  left  you  yesterday." 

"  Do  you,  then,  think  that  I  will  get  well  ?  "  And  Mr. 
Graham's  eyes  showed  the  anxiety  with  which  he  awaited 
the  reply. 

"  Why,  my  dear  sir,"  said  Dr.  Hammond,  with  a  good- 
natured  smile,  "  you  must  have  no  other  thought  than 
that.  '  Faint  heart  never  won  fair  lady,'  you  know,  and 
you  must  determine  that  you  will ;  that  is  the  best  medi- 
cine I  can  prescribe  for  you." 

"  I  hope  it  will  be  so,"  replied  Mr.  G-raham,  doubtfully  ; 
"  but  something  tells  me  it  cannot  be.  But,  Doctor, 
promise  me  that  you  will  give  me  warning  while  my  mind 
is  clear  ;  I  must  change  my  will  before  I  die." 

The  old  doctor  stood  irresolute  a  moment,  and  then 
said,  quietly  :  "  Preparations  of  that  kind  can  be  made  at 
one  time  as  well  as  another,  by  the  sick  or  by  those  in  full 
health,  and  I  would  recommend  you  to  attend  to  it  soon, 
so  that  it  will  be  off  your  mind." 

As  he  passed  out,  he  stopped  by  the  chair  where  Mrs. 
Graham  sat  with  covered  eyes,  and  said  : 

"I  have  recommended  Mr.  Graham  to  make  the  desired 
changes  in  his  will." 

Like  a  flash,  she  stood  erect  before  him.  "And  who 
gave  you  the  authority  to  do  thjit  ?  "  demanded  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham,    Then,  instantly  realizing  her  mistake,' she  added: 

"'Do  you  not  know  that  it  will  kill  him  ?" 

"As  his  medical  adviser  I  take  the  responsibility,"  replied 
Dr.  Hammond,  curtly. 


78  FOILED. 

"And  to  your  superior  judgment,  I  submit/'  said  Mrs. 
■Graham,  as  with  cold  dignity  she  bowed  her  acquiescence. 

*'  I  must  see  Mr.  Blood  at  once,"  said  Mr.  G-raham, 
wearily,  as  his  wife  again  entered  the  room.  "  The  doctor 
says  it  will  be  best  to  do  so  and  have  it  off  my  mind." 

"What  important  business  have  you  with  Mr.  Blood 
that  makes  you  risk  your  life  to  see  him  ?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Graham,  provoked  at  his  persistence. 

"I  must  make  some  changes  in  my  will/' replied  Mr. 
Graham,  almost  inaudibly. 

"  I  thought  you  had  a  will  already,"  persisted  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham. 

"  So  I  have,"  replied  Mr.  Graham,  with  an  evident  ef- 
fort ;  "  but  I  must  make  some  changes.  You  know  Edith 
was  not  of  age  and  was  unmarried  when  that  was  drawn." 

"  I  think  it  is  so  foolish  for  you  to  worry  and  fret  over 
such  matters,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  reproachfully,  "when 
you  can  just  as  well  leave  them  until  you  are  stronger." 

"  By  sending  for  Mr.  Blood  at  once  you  will  save  me 
much  unnecessary  worry — will  you  do  it  ?"  said  Mr.  Gra- 
ham, desperately. 

"  Why  certainly,  if  you  desire  it,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
placidly. 

Mrs.  Graham  sat  in  her  parlor  for  some  time,  trying  to 
clearly  see  her  way.  At  last  she  arose  and  entered  the  sick 
man's  room. 

"  Have  you  sent  for  Mr.  Blood?"  anxiously  inquired  Mr. 
Graham. 

"Certainly,  and  he  will  no  doubt  be  here  before  evening," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  quietly. 


FOILED.  79 

But  the  hours  dragged  slowly  on,  and  evening  came  and 
went,  and  yet  Mr.  Blood  did  not  appear. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Graham  was  perceptibly  worse, 
and  calling  Mrs.  Graham  to  him,  said  : 

"  Please  send  another  message  to  Mr.  Blood  and  tell  him 
that  I  must  see  him  at  once." 

Mrs.  Graham  seemingly  complied,  and  a  short  time  af- 
terward returned  with  the  reply  that  Mr.  Blood  was  out  of 
the  city,  and  would  not  return  for  several  days. 

Mr.  Graham  closed  his  eyes  with  a  groan. 

"  Would  it  not  be  better  to  give  up  this  notion,  my  dear  ?" 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  persuasively.  "  It  is  certainly  making 
you  worse.     Will  you  not  do  it  for  my  sake  ?" 

"  I  cannot  ;  I  must  attend  to  it,  even  though   it  kills 
me,^'  and  Mr.  Graham  turned  his  face  to  the  wall,  filled  ' 
with  anxiety  and  doubt. 

True  to  her  promise,  Edith  called  and  asked  for  admis- 
sion to  her  father's  room. 

"He  is  too  sick  to  be  seen  by  any  one,"  was  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham's decisive  answer  ;  "  and  you  have  stayed  away  as  if 
you  had  no  regard  for  him." 

"  I  did  not  know  that  he  was  sick,"  said  Edith,  piteously. 
''If  you  had  sent  me  word  I  would  have  come  at  once." 

''  0,  certainly,  lay  all  the  blame  for  your  misdeeds  on 
m(\,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  sneer. 

"But  can  I  not  see  him,"  said  Edith,  imploringly,  "  if 
for  no  more  than  a  moment  ?" 

'"Most  assuredly  not,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  determin- 
edly. ''  Dr.  Hammond  has  left  strict  orders  that  no  one 
must  visit  him." 


80  FOILED. 

Edith  felt  sick  at  heart,  and  with  it  all,  her  conscience 
troubled  her  that  she  had  delayed  so  long. 

Mrs.  Graham  was  flitting  in  and  out  of  the  sick  room, 
now  to  call  a  servant,  then  again  to  obtain  some  necessary- 
article,  each  time  carefully  closing  the  door  behind  her, 
and  with  it  Edith's  hopes. 

Edith  waited  patiently  as  the  time  passed  heavily  by, 
hoping  that  some  fortunate  circumstance  might  give  her  an 
excuse  for  entering  her  father's  room  ;  but  no  opportunity 
was  given  her.  It  could  not  hurt  him  for  me  to  see  him  a 
minute,  she  thought,  and  had  summoned  all  her  courage  to 
again  make  her  request,  when,  with  more  excitement  than 
was  usual  with  her,  Mrs.  Graham  suddenly  opened  the  door, 
and,  quickly  passing  through  the  room,  disappeared.  In  her 
haste  she  left  the  door  slightly  ajar. 

This  was  Edith's  opportunity,  and  lightly  stepping  to 
the  door  she  saw  her  father  was  awake,  but  0,  so  pale  !  The 
sight  nerved  her  to  the  act,  and  opening  the  door  she  en- 
tered ;  and  as  her  father  recognized  her,  his  countenance 
lit  up  with  a  faint  smile  of  pleasure,  as  he  said  : 

''Isthat  you,  Edith  ?" 

"  Yes,  father." 

"  Tell  my  lawyer,  Mr.  Blood,  or  his  clerk,  to  come  at 
once ;  I  must  see  him.     Don't  forget." 

Edith  knew  that  Mrs.  Graham  stood  in  the  doorway. 
Though  she  had  not  seen  her,  she  felt  her  presence,  and 
was  violently  trembling. 

As  she  stood  there,  Mrs.  Graham  seemed  a  perfected 
picture  of  baffled  cunning  and  intense  surprise  ;  and  as 
Edith  attempted  to  leave  the  room,  she  slowly  made  way 


FOILED.  81 

for  her,  her  eyes  meanwhile   searching  her  through  and 
through. 

"  0,  don't  look  at  me  that  way ! "  cried  Edith,  now  thor- 
oughly terrified.     "  Why  don't  you  speak." 

"Words  cannot  express  my  feelings — go!"  and  with 
flashing  eyes  and  a  wave  of  her  hand  Mrs.  Graham  turned 
and  entered  her  husband's  room,  leaving  Edith  nearly 
breathless  with  affright. 

Weak  and  trembling,  Edith  hastily  left  the  house  and 
made  her  way  to  the  office  of  Mr.  Blood,  where,  sinking 
into  a  proffered  seat,  she  asked  : 

"  Is  Mr.  Blood  in  ?" 

''He  is." 

"  Please  tell  him  that  Stewart  Graham's  daughter  must 
see  him  at  once." 

In  answer  to  the  summons,  Mr.  Blood  quickly  made  his 
appearance. 

"  You  are  Mr.  Graham's  lawyer,  are  you  not?"  began 
Edith,  not  entirely  recovered  from  the  effects  of  her  af- 
fright. 

"I  am,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  pleasantly. 

"  He  is  very  sick  and  must  see  you  at  once,"  said  Edithy 
in  one  breath.     "  When  can  you  go  ?" 

"  In  that  case  I  shall  go  now,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  earn- 
estly. "Your  father  and  I  have  known  each  other  too 
long  for  me  to  hesitate  when  he  calls." 

Edith  had  returned  home  but  a  few  moments  when,  to 
her  surprise,  Mr.  Blood  knocked  for  admittance, 

"  Mrs.  Howard,"  he  began,  "  are  you  sure  you  under- 
stood your  father's  wishes  ?" 

6 


82  FOILED. 

"  I  am  certain  the  message  I  gave  you  was  the  same  he 
gave  me.  What  makes  you  doubt  it  ?"  inquired  Edith  in 
surprise. 

"I  hardly  know,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  with  a  puzzled 
look;  "but  when  I  told  Mrs.  Graham  that  I  had  been 
sent  for  she  seemed  greatly  astonished,  and  was  very  posi- 
tive that  I  was  not  needed.  I  insisted  that  Mr.  Graham 
had  sent  for  me,  and  she  as  positively  assured  me  that  if 
such  were  the  case  she  would  have  known  of  it.  I  could 
arrive  at  no  other  conclusion  than  that  you  were  mistaken, 
so  I  thought  best  to  see  you."' 

''  Mr.  Blood,  my  father  wants  you  !"  said  Edith,  posi- 
tively. "  I  am  as  sure  of  that  as  I  am  that  I  am  here. 
His  words  were  :  '  Tell  my  lawyer,  Mr.  Blood,  or  his  clerk, 
to  come  at  once.     Don't  forget  !'  " 

"Then  I  shall  go  back  and  see  him,"  said  Mr.  Blood, 
resolutely. 

"Bertha,  did  you  go  for  Mr.  Blood,  after  all  I  said?" 
inquired  Mrs.  Graham  after  she  had  closed  the  door  upon 
the  attorney. 

"No,  most  assuredly  not,"  replied  Bertha,  in  some  sur- 
prise. 

"  Then  it  was  Edith,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  indignantly. 

"Very  likely,"  replied  Bertha;  "for  she  is  the  only 
one  who  knew  that  he  was  wanted." 

As  Mr.  Blood  again  entered  the  house  he  had  so  recently 
left,  he  said. 

"  Mrs.  Graham,  I  am  forced  to  believe  that  your  husband 
desires  to  see  me  ;  will  you  do  me  the  favor  to  ask  him?" 

"He  is  sleeping  now,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  i>leasantly, 
"  and  I  do  not  like  to  disturb  him." 


POILED.  83 

''Very  well ;  please  notify  me  when  he  wakens  ;  I  will 
sit  here  until  I  can  see  him. "  And  Mr.  Blood  leaned  back 
in  a  comfortable  chair,  prepared  for  a  siege. 

His  assurance  had  taken  from  Mrs.  Grraham  her  most 
trusty  weapon  —  her  coolness  ;  she  was  now  nervous  and 
excited,  and  at  a  loss  for  an  answer,  she  retired  from  the 
room. 

One  long  hour  Mr.  Blood  sat  in  his  chair,  his  thoughts 
occupied  with  his  afternoon's  queer  experiences.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  believed  he  understood  the  case ;  so 
when  Mrs.  Graham  entered  and  announced  that  her  hus- 
band was  awake  and  would  see  him,  he  silently  bowed  his 
acknowledgement  and  followed  her  to  Mr.  G-raham's  bed- 
side, where  Mr.  Graham's  smile  of  recognition  quickly  as- 
sured him  that  he  was  no  unlocked  for  intruder;  so  with- 
out wasting  words  he  turned  to  the  business  in  hand 
with  a — 

''Well,  Mr.  Graham,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  turning  to  his  wife,  "will 
you  leave  me  with  Mr.  Blood  for  a  short  time  ?" 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  retiring,  but  leaving 
the  door  slightly  ajar. 

"Now,  Mr.  Blood,  please  close  the  door  and  then  we 
will  talk,"  began  Mr.  Graham. 

Mr.  Blood  stepped  to  the  door  and  carefully  closed  it. 

"I  have  intended  for  some  time  to  make  some  changes 
in — please  close  that  door,  Mr.  Blood." 

Mr.  Blood  placed  his  shoulder  against  the  door  until  he 
heard  the  catch  snap  as  it  found  its  place,  and  with  a  sat- 
isfied air  returned  to  his  seat. 


84  FOILED. 

*'  I  have  intended — Mr.  Blood,  you  may  close  that  door 
and  lock  it/'  said  Mr.  Graham,  firmly. 

Mr.  Blood,  with  grim  satisfaction,  turned  the  key  and 
thereby  secured  the  unruly  door, 

"These  changes,"  continued  Mr.  Graham,  "  1  will  briefly 
outline  to  you,  and  you  can  put  them  in  proper  shape  and 
I  will  sign  them." 

Mr.  Blood  rapidly  wrote  out  the  required  changes,  and 
with  Dr.  Hammond  as  witness,  concluded  his  business  and 
departed. 

"  I  have  left  Mr.  Graham  a  powerful  opiate,"  said  Dr. 
Hammond,  as  he  left  the  bedside  and  advanced  toward  Mrs. 
Graham.  "I  find  I  can  be  of  no  benefit  to  him  now,  ex- 
cept to  make  his  last  hours  easier.  Be  careful  to  give  only 
the  ten  drops  each  time,  and  I  will  call  again  in  the  early 
morning.  By  the  way,  Mrs.  Graham,  I  must  ask  you  to 
take  more  rest.  You  must  let  some  one  else  watch  with 
Mr,   Graham  while  you  seek  needed  quiet  and  repose." 

"  I  do  not  dare  to  run  the  risk,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
earnestly. 

"Someone  must  take  your  place,"  said  Dr.  Hammond, 
firmly.      "Who  will  it  be  ?" 

"Arthur  would,  if  notified,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  sub- 
missively. 

"I  will  see  him,  Mrs,  Graham,  and  have  him  come  to- 
night," 

So  Arthur,  after  receiving  full  directions  and  many  warn- 
ings in  regard  to  the  dose  of  the  powerful  opiate,  was  sta- 
tioned as  the  midnight  watcher.  He  had  never  before  had 
so  painful  a  task  assigned  him  as  this  of  watching  the  agony 


FOILED.  85 

of  his  beloved  friend  while  he  stood  by  without  the  power 
to  aid  ;  and  it  was  with  a  sense  of  relief  that  he  saw 
Mrs.  Grrahani  enter  in  the  early  morning,  and  after  hold- 
ing a  whispered  conversation  with  her  relating  to  the 
events  that  had  occurred  during  the  hours  he  had  watched 
with  Mr.  Graham,  he  stepped  to  the  door,  when  he  was 
startled  by  a  smothered  cry  of  alarm,  and  quickly  turn- 
ing, saw  Mrs.  G-raham,  apparently  greatly  agitated, 
holding  a  small  vial  between  the  light  and  her  eyes. 

''  What  is  the  matter  ?"  questioned  Arthur,  in  alarm. 

"  Have  you  given  Mr.  Graham  all  of  this  ?"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  indicating  the  empty  portion  of  the  vial. 

"  Yes — no — let  me  see  !"  Then  taking  the  vial,  Arthur 
said,  with  much  astonishment,  "JSTo,  I  have  not — Mrs. 
Graham,  this  bottle  had  more  in  it  than  this  when  last  I 
had  it." 

"  What  would  the  world  say,  Arthur,  were  they  to 
know  of  this — this — carelessness,  to  say  the  least,"  inquired 
Mrs.  Graham,  looking  fixedly  at  him. 

"1  care  not  what  they  would  say,"  replied  Arthur,  in- 
dignantly. "  I  gave  the  medicine  exactly  as  it  was  or- 
dered." 

"  To  say  the  least,  it  i:)laces  you  in  a  very  disagreeable 
position.  Persons  would  naturally  think  you  an  interested 
person,  if  they  should  hear  that  you  had  given  Mr.  Gra- 
ham a  fatal  dose,"  and  Mrs.  Graham  moved  toward  her 
sleeping  husband,  and  leaned  over  him,  the  more  forcibly 
to  impress  Arthur  with  her  words.  As  she  did  so,  Arthur's 
quick  eyes  detected  a  glistening  something  on  the  carpet 
where  she  had  stood.     Stooping  down,  he  placed  his  hand 


86  FOILED. 

upon  it,  and  finding  it  was  moist  he  quickly  detected  that 
it  was  a  part  of  the  contents  of  the  vial. 

"  There  is  where  a  part  of  it  has  gone,  Mrs.  Graham, 
and  by  your  carelessness  or  intent, — I  cannot  now  deter- 
mine which,"  said  Arthur,  indignantly. 

The  look  of  baffled  rage  which  Mrs.  G-raham  turned 
upon  him  was  to  Arthur  unexplainable,  but  he  little  knew 
the  many  hours  during  which  she  had  sought  an  oppor- 
tunity to  gain  a  hold  upon  him;  and  now,  when  he  was  left 
to  administer  this  powerful  medicine  to  Mr.  Graham,  she 
felt  that  the  time  had  arrived  when  she  could  place  him  in 
her  power,  and  through  his  fear  of  exposure,  control  him 
in  case  he  desired  to  deviate  from  her  commands. 

Carefully  she  had  calculated  upon  the  results  of  Mr. 
Graham's  death,  and  but  one  thing  alone  remained  in 
doubt,  this  was  the  question  of  Arthur's  course,  but  with 
this  hold  upon  him  she  felt  that  she  would  be  secure. 
Fully  determined  upon  her  course  she  entered  the  room, 
and  as  Arthur  turned  to  leave,  she  hastily  emptied  a  por- 
tion of  the  medicine  upon  the  carpet,  and  then  stepping 
upon  it,  arrested  his  attention  by  her  low  cry  of  alarm. 
But  Arthur's  quick  conception  of  her  designs,  and  the 
firmness  with  which  he  met  her  charges  and  indignantly 
repelled  them,  made  her  falter  in  her  ]3urpose,  and  quickly 
stepping  to  his  side,  she  said: 

'*■  Let  me  have  the  vial,  Arthur.''' 

"No,"  replied  Arthur,  firmly,  "  I  will  keep  possession 
of  it  until  Dr.  Hammond  comes." 

"  0,  pshaw  !"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  careless  laugh, 
''you  need  not  take  it  so  much  to  heart  as  that,  Arthur.    I 


FOILED.  87 

may  have  been  careless,  and  probably  was  ;  and  when  I 
noticed  how  much  was  gone  I  was  naturally  much  sur- 
prised." 

"  It^s  too  serious  a  matter  to  me  to  be  so  lightly  disposed 
of,"  replied  Arthur,  indignantly.  "  I  must  settle  the 
question  so  positively  that  you  will  never  dare  to  mention 
it  again,  then  you  may  have  the  vial." 

''Now,  Arthur,  please  don't  be  foolish,"  said  Mrs. 
Gi-raham,  appeal  ingly.  "  Remember  that  these  things  are 
often  productive  of  much  scandal,  and  we  cannot  aUord 
that." 

"  Why  did  you  not  think  of  that  before  you  accused  mo 
of  poisoning  Mr.  Graham  ?"  demanded  Arthur. 

"Arthur,  I  never  made  such  a  charge  !  I  had  no 
thought  of  it  !"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  indignantly. 

"  Well,  I  will  keep  the  vial,^'  and  true  to  his  word,  Arthur 
kept  close  watch  upon  it  until  Dr.  Hammond  came. 

"  Doctor,"  said  Arthur,  when  at  last  he  made  his  appear- 
ance, "Mrs.  Graham  fears  her  husband  has  receiveu  a  fatal 
dose  of  this  medicine — can  you  relieve  her  mind  ?" 

"  How  many  doses  have  been  given  from  this  vial,  Mrs. 
Graham  ?  " 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  hastily;  "I 
have  given  only  three." 

"And  I  gave  three,"  said  Arthur. 

"  That  would  make  pretty  large  doses,"  replied  the  doc- 
tor, after  a  moment's  thought,  "but  not  necessarily  fatal." 

Arthur  began  to  feel  easier. 

"  But  if  all  but  one  were  as  you  directed,  and  tlie  rest 
given  in  one  dose — how  then  ?  "  questioned  Mrs.  Graham. 


88  FOILED. 

"  In  that  case  I  should  not  like  to  be  responsible  for  the 
consequences,"  said  Dr.  Hammond,  anxiously. 

"But  is  not  this  the  same?"  asked  Arthur,  stooping 
down  and  running  his  hand  over  the  carpet. 

''  I  think  that  is  where  it  has  gone,  Mrs.  Graham ;  but 
here  is  a  better  assurance  than  all  these,"  said  the  doctor, 
gently  grasping  Mr.  Graham's  wrist,  while  Arthur  waited 
anxiously  for  his  reply. 

"His  pulse  indicates  that  he  has  received  no  more  than 
I  wished  him  to,"  said  Dr.  Hammond,  as  he  gently  released 
his  hold  upon  Mr.  Graham's  arm.  " 'Tis  true,  his  breath- 
ing is  heavy  and  labored,  but  not  more  so  than  I  would 
expect  from  the  dose  I  ordered." 

Tears  sprang  to.  Arthur's  eyes  as  Dr.  Hammond  turned 
to  him  and  said  : 

"You  did  your  duty  fully  and  need  have  no  fears." 

"  0,  he  did  splendidly!"  quickly  interposed  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham. "I  was  only  afraid  that  he  might  have  made  a 
mistake  while  half  asleep." 

"It  was  a  serious  charge,  Mrs.  Graham,  to  make  against 
any  one,  particularly  one  who  stands  in  the  relation  to  you 
that  Arthur  does  "  said  Dr.  Hammond,  reproachfully. 

Arthur's  presence  gave  Edith  courage  to  again  make  an 
attempt  to  see  her  father,  so  entering  her  old  home,  she 
asked  : 

"  Can  I  not  be  of  some  help  to  you  ?  " 

"  If  you  came  to  work,  you  can,"  savagely  replied  Mrs. 
Graham  ;  "but  we  have  no  desire  for  visitors." 

Edith  bit  her  lips  to  keep  back  the  tears,  and  after  a 
moment's  hesitation,  said  : 


FOILED.  89 

"  I  can  at  least  sit  by  his  side  and  watch  while  he  sleeps 
— may  I  do  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  scornfully.  "  We  are  all 
worn  out,  and  as  that  is  about  all  you  seem  fit  for,  you 
might  as  well  do  that  as  to  sit  idly  by." 

Edith  lightly  stepped  into  the  room,  and  drawing  Arthur 
to  one  side,  said  : 

"  Don't  go  while  I  am  here." 

"All  right,"  replied  Arthur,  as  he  placed  a  chair  for  her, 
taking  which  she  felt  a  sense  of  security  and  quiet  happi- 
ness in  the  thought  that  she  could  once  more  be  near  him 
she  loved. 

The  irresistible  onward  march  of  death  was  fast  closing 
about  Mr.  Graham,  who  was  now  unconscious  and  nearing 
his  end. 

"I  think  you  had  better  call  in  the  friends,  Arthur," 
said  Dr.  Hammond,  solemnly, 

Arthur  quickly  followed  his  suggestion,  and  in  a  moment 
returned,  closely  followed  by  Mrs.  Graham,  leaning  on  the 
arm  of  Webster  Graham,  her  husband's  only  brother,  and 
closely  following  them,  Edith's  Aunt  Harriet,  the  only 
sister  of  Edith's  mother.  A  mournful  circle  they  presented 
as  they  stood,  silently,  watching  the  doctor,  who  at  last  said, 
resignedly  : 

"  It  is  over  ! " 

A  long,  piercing  wail  startled  the  assembled  friends,  as 
Mrs.  Graham  sank  into  a  vacant  chair  and  broke  into  vio- 
lent hysterical  sobs.  Aunt  Hattie  and  Uncle  Webster 
quickly  came  to  her  relief,  and  as  they  supported  her  into  the 
other  room,  Arthur  caught  the  look  of  disgust  with  which 
Dr.  Hammond's  eyes  followed  her. 


90  FOILED. 

"It  was  overdone/'  thought  Arthur;  "her  wailings 
were  too  loud  and  strong/'  Then  turning  to  Edith,  he 
became  alarmed  at  her  appearance  :  sitting  bolt  upright, 
her  face  deathly  pale,  she  was  staring  fixedly  at  the  dead ; 
her  eyes  showed  no  signs  of  weeping. 

"Edith  I  Edith  I"  said  Arthur,  shaking  her  violently — 
"you  must  come  away." 

"Yes,"  replied  Edith,  vacantly,  as  she  mechanically  took 
his  proffered  arm. 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  sitting-room,  whither  the 
others  had  preceded  them,  they  found  Mrs.  Graham  once 
more  composed,  and  calmly  talking  over  the  arrangements 
for  the  funeral. 

"Some  of  the  neighbors  have  called  to  see  you,  Mrs. 
Graham,"  said  the  servant,  entering  at  this  moment, 

Mrs.  Graham  at  once  resumed  her  lamentations,  and  her 
cries  were  loud  and  long. 

"Show  them  in,"  said  Aunt  Hattie,  kindly. 

"Edith,  let  us  be  going,"  whispered  Arthur,  upon  whom 
Mrs.  Graham's  actions  reacted  violently. 

"In  a  moment,"  replied  Edith,  who,  after  quietly  press- 
ing the  hands  of  her  old  friends,  withdrew  with  Arthur. 

"I  can  never  bear  these  howling  death-bed  scenes,"  began 
Arthur,  as  they  left  the  house.  "  It  always  looks  like  effect 
more  than  sorrow." 

"  We  should  not  judge  too  harshly,"  replied  Edith, 
reprovingly. 

"Well,  I  could  but  contrast  her  wailings  with  her  acts 
during  his  life,"  said  Arthur,  bitterly. 

"  Yes,  but  let  us  change  the  subject,  Arthur  ;  it  is  not  a 
pleasant  one." 


FOILED.  91 

Mrs.  Grraham  readily  assumed  the  direction  of  all  the 
preparations  for  the  funeral,  assigning  Edith  and  Arthur  to 
the  same  carriage  with  herself  and  Bertha. 

Edith's  stoical  composure  had  been  a  constant  check  upon 
Mrs.  Graham's  demonstrative  exhibitions  of  grief,  and  she 
felt  a  bitter  resentment  toward  her  because  of  it  ;  and  as 
they  were  returning  home,  and  Bertha's  conversation 
turned  upon  the  grief  of  many  of  the  friends  present, 
Mrs.  Graham  said,  wbile  looking  fixedly  at  Edith  : 

''Yes,  even  strangers  have  hearts,  and  show  their  sorrow, 
while  others  can  lose  even  their  best  friends  and  care  noth- 
ing. I  cannot  understand  such  dispositions  ;  they  must  be 
completely  given  over  to  selfishness." 

Arthur's  blood  fairly  boiled  as  he  recognized  the  venom 
of  her  words,  and  would  have  replied,  had  not  the  place 
and  circumstances  forbid.  He  had  now  seen  Mrs.  Graham 
long  enough,  and  studied  her  character  so  thoroughly  as  to 
fully  realize  that  she  was  a  woman  of  exceeding  strength 
and  resources,  and  that  it  was  no  easy  matter  for  the  casual 
observer  to  resist  her  plausibility  or  comprehend  her  true 
character.  It  was  well  for  both  Edith  and  himself  that  he 
had  these  opportunities,  and  had  improved  them  until  he 
understood  her  every  plan  and  move.  The  education  thus 
attained  was  soon  to  be  most  severely  tested. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  VILLAIN   FOR    A    LAWYER   AKD    A    WILLING    CLIENT. 

Early  the  next  morning  Mrs.  Graham  entered  the  office 
of  Mr.  Blood,  saying  : 

''  Tell  Mr.  Blood  that  Stewart  Graham's  widow  desires  to 
see  him." 

Mr.  Blood  had  formed  a  great  dislike  for  Mrs.  Graham, 
and  her  presence  was  distasteful  to  him  ;  yet  the  vision  of 
large  fees  for  settling  her  estate  quickly  arose  before  him 
and  decided  his  course,  and  offering  her  a  seat,  he  said  : 

"  Did  you  desire  to  see  me  on  business  ?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  the  tears  springing  to  her 
eyes,  "  on  sad  business.  You  are  the  custodian  of  Mr. 
Graham's  will,  and  must  realize  the  disagreeable  position 
I  am  placed  in  when  I  tell  you  that  I  do  not  know  its  con- 
tents, and  can  neither  pay  my  servants  or  buy  the  necessities 
of  life  without  the  feeling  that  I  may  make  myself  liable  to 
the  law." 

"  0,  there  is  no  danger  of  that,  Mrs.  Graham  ;  you  can 
go  on  just  as  usual  and  the  law  will  not  hurt  you  in  the 
least." 

"But  I  would  feel  easier,"  persisted  Mrs.  Graham,  if  I 

92 


FOILED.  93 

knew  what  the  changes  were  that  you  so  recently  made. 
Can  you  not  let  me  see  the  will  ?  " 

'*  0,  no ;  that  would  not  do  at  all !  '*  said  Mr.  Blood, 
quietly.  "  I  must  deliver  it  to  the  court  and  to  no  one 
else." 

''Well,  you  can  at  least  tell  me  how  I  stand,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  desj^erately. 

"1  can,  in  a  general  way,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  hesitat- 
ingly. 

''Well,  in  a  general  way." 

"  Mr.  Graham  gives  you  a  third  of  his  estate,  to  be  yours 
forever,  and  to  descend  to  your  heirs  at  your  death,"  began 
Mr.  Blood. 

"  The  law  would  give  me  that  much,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
scornfully  ;  "but  what  becomes  of  the  other  two-thirds — to 
whom  does  it  go  ?  " 

"  His  daughter  Edith  receives  one-third,  like  yourself ; 
no  more,  no  less." 

"And  the  remaining  portion — what  becomes  of  that?" 
inquired  Mrs.  Graham  anxiously. 

"  The  remaining  portion  is  divided  between  his  brother 
Webster,  his  sister,  Lucy  Gerald,  and  her  children,  in  pro- 
portion as  set  forth  in  his  will. " 

"And  who  has  charge  of  the  estate?"  persisted  Mrs. 
Graham. 

"  You  are  executrix^  and  Webster  Graham  is  associated 
with  you  to  guard  the  interests  of  the  daughter.  You  two 
have  sole  charge  of  the  estate,  and  with  the  advice  of  myself 
will  find  it  an  easy  matter  to  settle  it  in  a  manner  entirely 
satisfactory  to  all.     I  will  start  the  proceedings  in  a  few 


94  FOILED. 

days,  and  then  letters  of  administration  will  be  issued  to 
you  and  Mr.  G-raham,  and  after  that  I  will  counsel  with 
3^ou  as  to  your  future  course." 

''Thank  you,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  haughtily;  ''I  shall 
need  your  services  no  farther  than  to  have  you  enter  the 
will  for  probate.  I  feel  perfectly  able  to  take  charge  of  the 
matter,  and  will  do  so." 

Mr.  Blood  for  a  moment  was  dumfounded  to  think  that 
he  had  been  so  easily  deluded  by  this  cunning  woman,  who, 
when  she  had  obtained  the  coveted  information,  spurned 
his  aid  and  crushed  his  hopes. 

''As  you  see  fit,  madam,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  indignantly; 
"but  as  Stewart  Graham's  trusted  friend  and  adviser,  I 
warn  you  that  the  danger  is  great  if  you  pursue  this 
course." 

"  I  will  take  the  responsibility  of  that  and  relieve  you 
from  all  anxiety  on  that  account,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
haughtily  as  she  retired. 

Mr.  Blood's  earnest  words  had  somewhat  unsettled  her 
purpose,  and  though  her  iron  will  brooked  no  opposition, 
she  had  the  rare  good  judgment  to  first  be  sure  of  her  posi- 
tion and  then  stand  by  it  to  the  bitter  end  ;  so  she  deter- 
mined to  counsel  with  some  of  her  friends,  and  as  they  all 
advised  against  her  purj^ose  of  settling  the  estate  unaided, 
she  consented  to  act  upon  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Fletcher 
and  employ  an  attorney  whom  he  recommended. 

Mr.  Skinner,  as  he  sat  in  his  office,  gave  every  indication 
of  needing  just  such  clients  as  Mrs.  Graham.  Small  of 
stature  and  spare  in  build,  with  low,  receding  forehead 
and  small  black  eyes,  he  fully  met  the  description  given  of 


FOILED.  95 

him  by  his  fellow  lawyers,  as  a  man  of  no  marked  ability, 
but  whose  low  cunning  might  well  be  feared.  With 
unkempt  hair,  and  clothes  that  plainly  showed  the  constant 
wear  of  many  months,  he  jiresented  the  appearance  of  a 
shabby-genteel  man  who  might  have  seen  better  days. 

''Are  you  Mr.  Skinner?"  asked  Mrs.  Graham,  as  she 
stood  irresolutely  in  the  doorway,  her  eyes  meanwhile 
surveying  his  surroundings. 

*'Yes,  madam,"  answered  Mr.  Skinner,  hastily  rising 
and  proffering  her  a  chair  ;  "  I  am  at  your  service." 

"  You  were  recommended  to  me  by  Mr.  Fletcher  as  a 
lawyer  who  fully  understood  probate  business,  and  whose 
charges  were  very  moderate,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  as  with 
an  effort  she  concealed  her  disgust. 

''0,  yes,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  quickly;  "I  know  Mr. 
Fletcher — he  is  my  landlord." 

''Humph  !  "  thought  Mrs.  Graham  ;  "it's  likely  he  was 
recommended  to  me  in  order  to  helj)  him  pay  his  rent ;  but 
he  may  be  just  the  man  I  want  for  all  that.     I'll  see." 

"As  to  probate  business,"  continued  Mr.  Skinner,  "I 
have  made  a  specialty  of  that  for  some  years." 

"  I  have  in  charge  the  estate  of  Stewart  Graham — " 

"  That  is  a  big  estate  ;  lots  of  money  there,  I  am  told," 
interrupted  Mr.  Skinner. 

Mrs.  Graham  ignored  the  low-bred  interruption,  and 
continued:  "  While  I  have  no  authority  to  retain  a  lawyer, 
as  yet,  still  I  thought  best  to  see  you  and  obtain  your  terms 
and  then  decide." 

"  It  would  bo  impossible  to  set  a  price  on  such  a  case," 
replied  Mr.  Skinner,  hastily,  "  but  I  can  assure  you  that 
my  fee  would  not  b-:  hirge." 


96  FOILED. 

"  But  that  is  indefinite,  and  I  must  kno"w  the  exact 
amount ;  otherwise,  I  will  go  elsewhere,"  said  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, determinedly. 

"Ah! "  thought  Mr.  Skinner,  this  woman  is  a  sharp  one  : 
"  I  must  make  a  low  price  and  get  the  business,  and  then 
make  the  pickings  fill  the  balance." 

''For  the  regular  probate  work  I  will  charge  you  forty 
dollars,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  after  momentarily  consider- 
ing the  matter  ;  ''but  any  wock  outside  of  that  I  will  have 
to  charge  extra  for." 

"These  extra  charges  must  not  exceed  this  proportion," 
said  Mrs.  G-raham,  firmly. 

"  0,  certainly  not ! "  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  reassuringly. 

"Well,  I  think  the  price  will  be  acceptable  ;  but  I  can- 
not decide  until  I  see  my  brother-in-law  and  talk  with  him. 
But  I  think  you  can  consider  it  just  the  same  as  settled," 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  evidently  well  pleased  with  her  bar- 
gain. 

"Where  is  the  will  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner. 

"It  is  in  Mr.  Blood's  possession, — at  least  I  suppose  it 
is,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  doubtfully. 

"Very  likely,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner.  "And  shall  I  send 
him  word  to  file  it  in  court  so  that  we  can  proceed  ? — of 
course  on  th«  supposition  that  I  am  retained ;  if  I  am  not, 
there  will  be  no  charge."  Better  get  started,  and  then  I 
am  sure  of  being  employed,  thought  Mr.  Skinner. 

Mrs.  Graham  stood  irresolute. 

"You  have  read  the  will,  I  suppose?"  queried  Mr. 
Skinner. 

"What  makes  you  ask  ?"  hastily  replied  Mrs.  Graham. 

"0,  it  is  unimportant,"  quickly  answered  Mr.  Skinner. 


FOILED.  97 

''It  was  your  privilege  if  you    chose  to  do  so.     You  said, 
I  believe,  that  this  brother-in-law  lived  in  another  State." 

"Yes." 

"It  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  have  him  declared  ineli- 
gible," suggested  Mr.  Skinner,  watching  the  effect  upon  his 
client,  who  made  no  reply.  "It  would  only  be  necessary 
to  bring  it  to  the  attention  of  the  court  and  he  would  be 
com])elled  to  reject  him,  as  he  would  be  beyond  his  juris- 
diction." 

The  tempter  was  at  work,  and  Mrs.  Graham  sat  absorbed 
with  her  thoughts.  It  was  with  her  only  a  question  of 
policy. 

This  is  a  peculiar  woman,  thought  Mr.  Skinner,  as  he  sat 
watching  her  while  waiting  for  her  reply.  She  is  not  of 
the  common  herd.  A  conscientiously  honest  woman  would 
reject  it  with  scorn  ;  a  foolishly  dishonest  one  would  eagerly 
accept  the  proposition.  She  is  a  puzzle  to  me  now,  but  I 
shall  soon  learn  her  ways. 

"  You  will  readily  recognize  that  this  matter  can  be 
more  expeditiously  handled  where  there  are  but  few  to  con- 
sult," continued  Mr.  Skinner,  "and,  necessarily,  at  less 
expense. " 

"  I  think  I  had  better  look  over  the  matter  before  I 
decide,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  thoughtfully. 

"  It  will  do  no  harm  to  give  it  your  attention,"  replied 
Mr.  Skinner,  with  a  meaning  look,  as  he  opened  the  door  ; 
then,  closing  it  after  her,  he  said,  half  audibly:  "Well, 
I  did  not  miss  my  mark  when  I  made  that  shot." 

On  her  way  home,  Mrs.  Graham   stopped  at  Arthur's 
store,  and  finding  him  in,  said  : 
7 


98  FOILED. 

"  You  may  continue  to  attend  to  Mr.  Graham's  business 
as  you  have  done  during  his  sickness,  but  I  shall  expect 
you  to  make  an  accounting  to  me  each  week  until  I  receive 
my  letters  of  administration,  after  which  time  I  will  attend 
to  all  these  matters  myself.  I  have  to  depend  upon  you  now  ; 
but  after  that  time  I  will  take  full  charge,  and  be  account- 
able to  my  God  and  the  judge  and  to  no  other  living  man," 
and  Mrs.  Graham  straightened  herself,  haughtily,  as  she 
thought  of  the  power  she  would  then  possess. 

"Do  you  mean  that  Edith  shall  be  kept  in  ignorance 
of  what  is  being  done  ?"  said  Arthur,  more  astonished  by 
her  manner  than  her  words. 

"The  collection  of  the  accounts  and  rents  is  a  small 
matter,  and  I  feel  perfectly  able  to  attend  to  all  such  little 
matters  as  these,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  looking  fixedly  at 
her  questioner  :  "  and  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  Edith  to 
interfere,  and  it  would  be  useless  if  she  did." 

"  But  she  is  entitled  to  a  portion  of  her  father's  prop- 
erty, is  she  not  ?"  persisted  Arthur. 

"I  suppose  she  is,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  sneer, 
"but  that  makes  no  difference,  for  I  will  attend  to  that ; 
and  if  she  expects  to  get  anything  from  this  estate,  take 
warning  in  time  and  don't  interfere." 

"Very  well,"  replied  Arthur,  apparently  resigned  to  his 
fate.  "When  you  are  ready,  tell  me  so,  and  I  will  make  a 
final  accounting  and  close  the  matter  as  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned." 

"Edith,"  began  Arthur,  when  he  returned  home  after 
his  interview  with  Mrs.  Graham,  "  I  am  convinced  by  iny 
experience  with  Mrs.  Graham  to-day  that  we  will  have  no 


FOILED.  99 

easy  road  to  travel  in  our  dealings  with  her.  The  change 
that  has  taken  place  in  her  is  startling.  She  is  bold  and 
defiant,  and  has  given  me  due  warning  that  we  must  not 
interfere  and  that  she  will  make  no  accounting  ;  and  had 
she  spoken  the  words,  she  could  not  have  more  clearly  im- 
pressed me  with  the  feeling  that  she  now  realizes  the  time 
has  come  for  which  she  has  waited  these  many  years  ;  and, 
occupied  as  I  am  with  my  business  cares,  I  have  no  time 
to  watch  what  she  is  doing,  and  would  feel  that  we  were 
completely  in  her  power  were  it  not  that  we  can  employ 
a  lawyer  to  watch  her  proceedings  in  court  and  have  him 
report  to  us." 

"And  is  she  the  executrix  of  my  father's  will  ?"  inquired 
Edith. 

"  It  would  seem  so,  from  what  she  says." 

"  Then  we  can  expect  no  mercy  from  her.  You  must 
see  Mr.  Blood  at  once,  Arthur,  and  ask  him  what  we  can 
do." 

•'  But,  Edith,  employing  lawyers  is  an  expensive  luxury." 
said  Arthur  uneasily. 

"  I  feel  that  I  would  rather  waste  money  in  defense, 
Arthur,  than  be  robbed  of  it  without  resistance  ;  and  would 
it  not  be  the  wisest  course  to  find  out  what  we  can  do,  even 
if  we  cannot  afford  to  force  it  to  be  done." 

''I  am  agreed,"  replied  Arthur.  "  I  will  see  Mr.  Blood 
at  once." 

"  0,  how  my  thoughts  have  wronged  you,  Arthur,"  said 
Edith,  smiling  through  her  i?ears.  '^  I  have  often  trembled 
when  I  looked  forward  to  this  time,  and  now  your  con- 
stancy stands  out  clear  and  distinct  against  the  dark  back- 
ground of  my  distrust." 


100  FOILED. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Edith?"  interposed  Arthur,  in 
surprise. 

''I  mean  that  I  have  noticed  with  alarm  the  influence 
that  Mrs.  Graham  has  seemed  to  have  upon  you,  and  have 
trembled  for  its  result  in  case  father  should  die.  0, 
Arthur  !  I  have  been  tormented  by  this  woman  as  no  one 
can  understand  unless  they  were  to  pass  through  the  same 
experience;  and  when  I  saw  her  efforts  to  chain  you  as  her 
slave  crowned,  as  I  thought,  with  success,  my  heart  failed 
me;  and  when  you  have  defended  her  actions  and  censured 
mine,  I  have  often  jDraycd  for  death.  I  hoped  when 
I  was  married  that  I  would  be  free ;  but  her  baneful  in- 
fluence seemed  to  follow  even  here,  and  not  until  now  have 
I  felt  its  curse  removed." 

"  I  have  done  wrong  !"  said  Arthur,  hoarsely. 

*' No,  not  you;  it  is  I!"  replied  Edith,  quickly.  "I 
have  cruelly  misjudged  you." 

"  But  not  without  reason,  Edith,"  quickly  replied 
Arthur,  "  and  I  must  now  tell  you  a  story  that  I  hoped 
never  to  reveal.  I  was  deceived  by  Mrs.  Graham  for  many 
months,  during  which  time  I  would  have  struck  down  any 
man  who  would  say  what  I  now  tell  you.  During  this 
time,  and  while  I  was  completely  under  her  influence,  I 
would  not  have  believed  my  own  mother  had  she  questioned 
Mrs.  Graham's  sincerity.  The  disagreements  between  you 
and  Mrs.  Graham  I  blamed  you  both  for,  but  I  desired  that 
father  Graham's  life  should  be  as  pleasant  as  possible  ;  and 
as  1  felt  that  I  could  not  control  lier,  my  only  hope  was  to 
check  this  feeling  in  you,  and  thereby  disarm  her.  This  I 
often  did,  though  many  times  I  felt  its  injustice  to  you. 


FOILED.  101 

During  all  this  time  I  was  Mrs.  Graham's  firm  friend.  But 
when  the  quarrel  between  Bertha  and  I  resulted  in  my  leav- 
ing the  house  so  hastily,  Mrs.  Graham  sent  me  a  letter,  the 
statements  in  which  roused  my  indignation  to  such  a  pitch 
that  I  was  ready  to  quarrel  with  your  father  ;  and  when 
next  he  entered  my  store  I  handed  him  her  letter,  intend- 
ing to  demand  of  him  a  retraction  or  his  proofs.  Before 
he  finished  reading,  I  saw  that  I  had  made  a  grave  mistake. 
After  reading  it,  he  returned  the  letter  tome,  with  a  death- 
like pallor  on  his  face,  and,  in  a  voice  hardly  audible,  asked 
me  to  burn  it.  I  demanded  if  its  contents  were  true,  and, 
with  a  groan  that  I  remember  to  this  day,  he  admitted  that 
they  were  not.  Edith,  I  did  not  burn  that  letter,  and  for 
his  sake  I  have  never  sj)oken  of  it  to  you.  But  if  it  can 
repair  the  injury  I  have  done,  you  are  welcome  to  it.  The 
rest  is  soon  told.  I  saw  that  instead  of  the  person  I 
believed  her  to  be,  she  was  only  a  designing  and  unscru- 
pulous woman,  and  from  that  tmie  until  now  I  have  made 
it  my  duty  to  know  her  thoroughly.  That  duty  has  been 
fulfilled.  After  my  confidence  in  her  was  once  broken, 
her  iiattery  and  intrigues  fell  harmless  at  my  feet.  Since 
then  I  have  quietly  defeated  several  of  her  plans,  and  this, 
too,  without  her  knowing  that  it  was  intentional.  Now 
every  day  sees  us  drifting  farther  and  farther  apart,  and  I 
feel  that  I  can  never  again  think  of  her  as  a  friend.  0, 
but  I  must  have  been  blind  indeed!  But,  Edith,  I  did  not 
know  the  pain  I  was  causing  you.'' 

"  I  don't  feel  it  now,  Arthur. " 

"No,"  said  Arthur,  choking  with  emotion,  ''^and  never 
shall  again  I "' 


102  FOILED. 

Arthur  then  hastened  to  Mr.  Blood^s  office,  and  after 
briefly  stating  Mrs.  Graham's  conversation,  and  that  she 
had  informed  him  that  she  was  to  be  the  executrix  of 
her  husband's  will,  said: 

''My  wife  was  Mr.  Graham's  only  child.  She  would 
have  been  content  to  let  the  law  take  its  course,  not 
knowing  or  even  thinking  that  it  would  not  protect  her, 
had  it  not  been  that  Mrs.  Graham  took  such  great  pains  to 
impress  upon  my  mind  that  when  she  had  her  letters  of 
administration  she  would  allow  no  interference  from  out- 
side, and,  as  she  expressed  it,  '  be  accountable  only  to  her 
God  and  the  judge,  and  to  no  other  living  man.'" 

Mr.  Blood  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed  loud  and 
long.  "  But  did  she  really  say  that,  Arthur  ?  It  sounds 
so  tragic,  you  know  ;  more  stagey  than  real." 

''That  is  exactly  what  she  said,  Mr.  Blood;  and  what 
puzzles  me  is,  how  she  knows  so  positively  that  she  will  be 
the  executrix,  when  the  will  has  not  yet  been  opened." 

"0,  I  can  easily  explain  that,  Arthur,  for  Mr.  Graham 
was  hardly  in  his  grave  before  she  was  down  here  making 
inquiries  as  to  how  well  she  was  provided  for  in  the  will ; 
and  not  satisfied  with  having  her  curiosity  appeased  in  that 
direction,  she  questioned  me  until  she  found  out  all  the 
will  contained." 

"  Has  she  reason,  then,  for  saying  that  she  will  not  be 
accountable  for  her  acts  ?"  inquired  Arthur,  anxiousN. 

"Not  that  I  know  of,  Arthur  ;  not  from  anything  that 
is  in  the  will." 

"  But  how  is  it,  Mr.  Blood,  that  she  is  so  well  informed 
in  regard  to  probate  law?     I  find  that  she  is  perfectly  con- 


'      FOILED.  103 

fident  of  her  position  being  correct,  and  that  she  knows 
every  step  to  take  ;  and  she  talks  so  easily  of  this  or  that 
channel  being  the  safest  course,  while  I  must  admit  that 
I  know  nothing  about  such  matters.  This  is  something 
uncommon  among  women,  is  it  not  T' 

''It  certainly  is,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  with  a  conscious 
smile. 

"  Where  does  she  get  her  education  in  this  matter  ?"  in- 
quired Arthur,  in  j^erplexity. 

"  I  should  say  it  has  been  her  life's  study,"  began  Mr. 
Blood,  again  becoming  serious.  "I  am  an  old  man,  and 
yet  in  all  my  life  I  have  never  known  a  woman  with  the 
peculiar  talents  that  Mrs.  Graham  possesses  ;  and  from 
what  I  know  of  her,  I  should  say  that  without  a  doubt  she 
married  Edith's  father  for  his  money,  has  planned  to  pos- 
sess it,  and  will  hesitate  at  nothing  until  she  succeeds.  I 
have  seen  more  of  her  character  than  I  care  to  tell  you. 
She  is  a  woman  of  iron  will,  plausible  in  speech,  quick  to 
see  an  advantage,  and  unscrupulous  in  using  it.  At  bay, 
a  wild  cat,  that  claws  at  your  vitals  and  dies  with  only  one 
hopS — that  of  vengeance.  And  it  will  be  no  easy  matter 
to  obtain  justice  from  her.  You  can  ouly  do  so  by  taking 
advantage  of  her  weakest  point,  which,  if  I  am  not  mis- 
taken, will  show  itself  by  her  grasping  more  than  she  can 
retain. — her  will  power  being  so  great  as  to  override  her 
otherwise  excellent  judgment." 

"  Bat  will  not  the  law  and  the  judge  make  her  comply 
with  the  exact  word  and  spirit  of  the  will  ?"'  inquired 
Arthur. 

"  I  am  forced  to  admit  that  we  have  not  arrived  so  near 


104  FOILED. 

the  millenium  as  that  ;  and  when  we  do,  like  Othello,  '  my 
occupation  will  be  gone. '  No,  Arthur,  the  law  only  pro- 
tects those  who  protect  themselves ;  or,  in  the  words  of 
Sydney,  '  God  helps  those  who  help  themselves.  ' " 

''Well,"  said  Arthur,  dejectedly,  "I  shall  talk  with 
Edith  and  decide  what  we  will  do." 

"Wait  one  moment,  Artliur  ;  I  cannot  let  you  go  with- 
out some  consolation.  Mrs.  Graham  is  not  the  sole  dicta- 
tor. Mr.  Graham's  brother  Webster  is  an  executor  and 
equal  in  power  with  Mrs.  Graham.  It  was  for  the  pur- 
pose of  protecting  Edith  that  her  father  placed  him  there, 
and  if  you  are  smart  you  will  take  time  by  the  forelock 
and  make  him  understand  this.  If  you  wait  too  long,  you 
lose  even  this  advantage.     Eemember  that  !" 

"Well,  we  are  in  for  it,"  said  Arthur,  upon  his  return. 

"  What  did  he  say  ?"  eagerly  inquired  Edith. 

"He  said  the  law  lielped  those  who  helped  themselves  ; 
that  we  would  not  get  justice  at  Mrs.  Graham's  hands,  if 
he  judged  her  character  correctly." 

"  Well,  I  know  her  well  enough  to  say  tliat  he  has,"  said 
Edith,  positively. 

"I  am  afraid  he  has,  Edith.  But  uncle  Webster  is  execu- 
tor with  her  and  has  equal  power,  so  Mr.  Blood  says,  and 
advises  us  to  see  him  as  soon  as  possible  and  find  out  if  he 
will  protect  your  interest. " 

"1  am  afraid  it  is  too  late  now,  Arthur,  for  it  is  proba- 
ble that  by  this  time  Mrs.  Graham  has  him  completely  in 
her  power.  He  is  an  older  man  than  father  was,  and  a 
woman  with  her  powers  of  persuasion  can  easily  influence 
him  ;  but  it  can  do  no  harm  to  see  him." 


FOILED.  105 

"Has  it  occurred  to  you  how  difficult  it  will  be  for  us 
to  see  him  alone  T'  inquired  Arthur. 

''  No,  not  until  now,"  replied  Edith  ;  "  but  I  can  arrange 
that.  I  will  send  him  a  note  and  ask  him  to  visit  us  ; 
then,  when  he  is  here,  we  can  soon  see  how  he  feels." 

"  I  doubt  if  Mrs.  Graham  allows  him  to  come  ;  or,  if 
she  does,  she  will  accompany  him,"  said  Arthur,  confident 
of  his  knowledge  of  her  intentions. 

"  She  may  not,  Arthur,  but  I  will  write  theiiote  and  then 
we  can  see." 

After  leaving  Arthur's  store  Mrs.  Graham  returned 
home,  and  as  she  entered  the  room  where  Webster  Graham 
sat  reading,  said  : 

"I  believe  we  have  found  just  the  man  we  want  to  di- 
rect us  in  the  probate  business.  Mr.  Fletcher  recom- 
mended him,  and  while  out  I  thought  I  would  call  and  ask 
his  price." 

"And  how  much  was  it  ?"  asked  Webster,  quickly,  to 
whom  this  was  a^  matter  of  the  first  importance. 

'•'Only  forty  dollars,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  compla- 
cently. 

"  AYhat !  forty  dollars  for  all  the  work  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  "  and  I  drove  a  i)retty  close 
bargain,  did  I  not  ?" 

"  I  am  pretty  clever  at  that  business  myself,"  re])lied 
Webster,  confidently,  "but  you  have  done  better  than  I 
could,"  and  he  chuckled  to- himself,  while  Mrs.  Graham 
rose  several  degrees  in  his  estimation. 

"  I  feel  the  need  of  saving  all  the  expense  that  is  possi- 
ble, and  would  liked  to  have  engaged  him,  but  I  thought 


106  FOILED. 

best  to  first  ask  your  advice,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  as  if  she 
felt  her  dependence  upon  him, 

"  And  you  say  he  is  a  good  lawyer  ?'"  inquired  Webster. 

"  One  of  the  best  m  the  city  ;  and,  withal>  he  is  honest." 

"  You  had  better  employ  him,"  said  Webster,  as  if  he 
felt  the  matter  rested  entirely  upon  his  decision.  "  I  am 
entirely  satisfied  with  your  judgment  in  matters  of  this 
kind,  and  will  only  ask  that  you  will  give  me  as  little  work 
as  possible  ;  for  I  have  my  cares  at  home,  and  you  know 
that  I  am  not  as  young  as  I  used  to  be." 

To  the  plodding  farmer,  accustomed  to  the  honest  coun- 
try folk,  this  woman  seemed  a  wonderful  being,  possessed 
of  remarkable  aptness  for  business  ;  and  when  she  told  him 
of  her  success  with  Mr.  Skinner,  he  was,  as  he  expressed 
himself,  only  too  well  pleased  to  be  relieved  of  the  cares 
and  place  them  in  other  hands. 

"  There  is  another  thing  I  desire  to  speak  of,"  continued 
Mrs.  Graham,  '^and  that  is,  the  importance  of  unity  of 
action.  You  can  readily  see  that  the  business  can  be 
more  rapidly  transacted  when  we  are  of  one  mind  than 
when  we  take  opposite  views;  and  in  case  of  any  opposition 
from  Edith,  or  any  of  the  others,  if  we  stand  firmly  together 
to  protect  the  interests  of  all,  it  will  be  so  much  easier  for 
us  both." 

"  Yes,  of  course  ;  I  can  see  the  truth  of  that,  and  I  agree 
with  you  entirely,"  replied  Webster,  quickly.  "  You  will 
be  near  the  lawyer  and  can  get  his  advice,  then  write  me 
what  you  have  decided  upon  as  being  best  under  all  the 
circumstances,  and  I  will  agree  to  it." 

*' Well,  I  am  pleased  to  find  you  a  man  of  such  excellent 


FOILED.  107 

judgment,  and,  withal,  so  easy  to  get  along  with,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  with  secret  exultation.  "Under  the  trying  cir- 
cumstances of  losing  my  dear  husband," — and  tears  filled 
lier  eyes  and  choking  sobs  for  a  moment  stopped  her  utter- 
ance— "I — I  should  have  found  it  hard  indeed  if  I  could 
not  have  found  one  to  assist  me." 

''How  is  Edith  ?"  inquired  Webster,  abruptly,  his  utter- 
ance a  little  thick  from  sympathy. 

"  0,  she  seems  to  be  enjoying  lierself  as  usual.  Her  chief 
desire  seems  to  be  to  get  hold  of  her  poor  father's  money; 
and  at  the  funeral  her  eyes  were  not  even  wet.  She  acted 
more  as  though  she  enjoyed  the  excitement  than  otherwise." 

"0,  you  should  not  say  that  !"  replied  Webster,  depre- 
catingly.  ''Edith  may  be  a  little  queer,  but  I  tliink  she 
loved  her  father." 

"0,  I  think  so,  too  !  But  she  has  changed  greatly  since 
her  marriage.  Her  love  for  money  has  grown  very  strong, 
and,  as  I  said,  she  seems  very  anxious  to  get  hold  of  the 
money  for  which  her  father  worked  so  hard  that  he  is  now 
in  his  grave  and  I  am  left  without  a  protector  ! "  And  Mrs. 
Graham  again  gave  way  to  her  emotions. 

"I  think  I  had  better  go  and  see  Edith  ;  I  will  be  back 
soon,"  said  Webster,  whose  emotions  at  the  sight  of  Mrs. 
Graham's  grief  were  hard  to  control. 

"0,  don't  go  !"  quickly  answered  Mrs.  Graham.  '''  Tea 
is  just  ready  and  I  want  your  company." 

"Well,  I  can  go  some  other  time,"  rej^lied  Webster, 
resignedly,  as  he  again  seated  himself. 

When  Webster  Graham  retired  in  the  early  evening,  as 
was  his  custom,  Mrs.  Graham  said : 


108  FOILED. 

•'  Now,  Bertha,  I  want  your  advice.  You  know  that  in 
the  will  Mr.  Graham  has  been  made  an  executor  with  me. 
Now,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  if  you  think  the  relatives  would 
have  as  much  confidence  in  the  estate  being  well  managed 
without  him  as  an  executor  as  with  him  ?  — in  other 
words,  could  I  alone  do  as  much  without  raising  suspicions 
on  their  part  as  could  be  done  by  us  jointly  ?^' 

''I  should  think  not,"  thoughtfully  replied  Bertha. 
''They  have  great  confidence  in  Uncle  Webster,  as  they 
call  him,  and  his  acts  would  almost  certainly  be  acceptable 
to  them." 

"  But  suppose  I  were  to  write  to  them  frequently.  Bertha, 
and  keep  them  well  informed — would  not  that  do  equally 
well  ?  " 

"It  would  help  very  materially,  Mrs.  Graham,  but  I 
doubt  if  it  would  give  them  the  same  confidence  that  they 
would  have  if  they  knew  he  was  working  with  you  ;  and  as 
he  is  a  childish  old  man,  I  should  say  you  ought  to  find  but 
little  difficulty  in  moulding  his  opinions  to  suit  you." 

"That  is  my  plan  in  case  I  give  up  the  other,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  confidently;  "but  I  must  see  Mr.  Skinner  before 
I  decide  positively." 

The  next  morning  found  the  members  of  Mrs.  Graham's 
household  assembled  at  the  breakfast  table. 

"  I  shall  be  going  down  town  this  morning,"  began  Mrs. 
Graham,  "would  you  like  to  accompany  me,  Webster  ?" 

"  Just  going  shopping  ?"  queried  Webster. 

"Yes  ;  there  are  a  few  errands  that  I  must  attend  to," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  indifferently. 

"No,  I  guess  I  had  better  stay  at  home  and  read  the 


FOILED.  109 

paper,  and  this  afternoon  we  can  go  and  see  Edith,"  was 
the  reply. 

This   just  suited    Mrs,    Graham,   and  feeling   perfectly 
secure,  she  started  on  her  way  to  lawyer  Skinner's. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

YOUR   daughter's    ATTORNEY,    I    BELIEVE. 

"Aha  !  I  knew  she  would  come,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  as 
ho  saw  the  widow  alight  from  her  carriage  at  his  door.  "  I 
have  seen  too  much  of  the  world  to  believe  that  my  words 
would  not  bear  fruit.  I  knew  her  anxiety  would  increase 
until  she  knew  more." 

"  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Graham." 

"  I  came  to  ask  your  advice,"  began  Mrs.  Graham,  uncer- 
emoniously, as  she  took  the  proffered  seat.  My  brother-in- 
law,  who  is  made  executor  by  the  will,  would  undoubtedly 
give  confidence  to  the  relatives  who  are  legatees,  and  any 
action  by  the  executors  while  he  acted  as  one  would  undoubt- 
edly go  unquestioned  by  them.  Is  not  this  a  sufficient 
reason  for  allowing  him  to  remain  ?  " 

"lb  is  an  excellent  reason,  Mrs.  Graham,  and  would  be 
sufficient  to  decide  the  matter  were  it  not  that  he  might 
seriously  interfere  with  your  desires  if  he  so  chose  ;  while 
with  him  out  of  the  way  you  are  absolutely  free  to  do  as 
you  choose,  always,  of  course,  keeping  within  the  limits  of 
the  law,  which  you  will  find  easy  enough  by  following  my 
advice.  The  courts  in  matters  of  this  kind  allow  great 
latitude  to  the  executors,  as  so  many  things  are  constantly 

110 


FOILED.  Ill 

arising  that  no  iron-bound  rules  can  be  made  to  apply 
to." 

"I  would  feel  more  easy  about  it  if  he  could  not  know 
that  we  were  the  ones  that  raised  the  objection  to  his  act- 
ing," said  Mrs.  Graham,  nearly  won  over. 

**0,  that  is  easily  arranged,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  confi- 
dently. "I  have  only  to  call  Judge  Winter's  attention  to 
the  fact  that  he  is  not  a  resident  of  this  State  and  he  will 
do  the  rest ;  this  I  can  do  in  private  and  no  one  be  the 
wiser." 

''I  think  that  will  be  the  better  plan,"  said  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, quietly. 

"Decidedly!"  replied  Mr.  Skinner.  ''And  have  you 
determined  that  I  shall  act  as  your  attorney  V 

"Yes,  as  the  attorney  for  the  estate,"  replied  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, cautiously. 

"  0,  yes  ;  the  estate  pays  for  it,  of  course.  And  when 
would  you  like  to  have  me  begin  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Skinner ; 
"  would  day  after  to-morrow  suit  you  ?  " 

"  That  will  do." 

"  In  that  case  we  had  better  proceed  at  once  to  get  the 
will  into  court  and  have  the  letters  of  administration 
issued  to  you,  appraisers  a})pointed  to  fix  upon  the  value  of 
the  personal  property,  and  set  off  the  widow's  award. 
You  understand  what  the  widow's  award  is,  do  you  not  ?'" 
and  Mr.  Skinner  looked  searchingly  at  his  client  to  see  the 
effect  of  his  words. 

"  I  am  not  certain  that  I  do,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
doubtfully. 

"  Well,  it  is  an  amount  that  is  given  to  the  widow  for 
her  support. 


112  FOILED. 

"  Not  all  that  she  gets,  is  it?" 

"  0,  no  ;  it  is  in  addition  to  what  the  will  gives  you." 

"  Then,  in  ease  the  will  gives  me  an  equal  third,  would 
I  get  more  than  either  of  the  other  thirds  ? "  inquired 
Mrs.  Graham,  expectantly. 

"Yes,  to  the  extent  of  your  widow's  award." 

"Is  that  the  law  ?" 

"  That  is  the  law,  and  it  is  very  strong  on  that  point," 
replied  Mr.  Skinner,  confidently. 

"  How  much  is  the  widow's  award  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, thoughtfully. 

"  That  is  decided  by  the  appraisers." 

"And  can  they  make  it  as  large  as  they  desire  ?  " 

"I  can  fix  it  so  that  you  will  be  satisfied,"  replied  Mr. 
Skinner,  confidently.  "  You  had  better  name  two  of  your 
friends  that  you  can  depend  upon  to  do  as  you  desire,  and 
I  will  put  in  my  clerk  as  the  other  one,  and  he  will  fix  the 
amount  so  high  as  to  satisfy  you  ;  the  judge  will  accept  them 
and  you  will  get  your  award." 

Mrs.  Graham  began  to  fesl  easy  once  more.  The  world 
was  moving  in  the  right  direction,  and  as  she  started  for 
home  she  felt  that  a  good  day's  work  had  been  accom- 
plished. 

•"Here  is  a  letter  for  you,  Mr.  Graham,"  said  the  servant, 
entering  the  room  where  he  sat  reading. 

Mr.  Graham  opened  the  letter,  and  reading  Edith's 
urgent  invitation,  resolved  that  he  would  go  at  once  and 
make  her  the  visit  he  had  long  intended  to  make  but  never 
accomplished.  So,  telling  Bertha  where  he  was  going,  he 
started  for  Edith's,  where  he  sat  for  some  time  before  Edith 
had  the  courage  to  ask  him  the  questions  she  desired. 


FOILED.  113 

'' TJucle/' began  Edith  at  last,  "father  has  made  you 
the  executor  of  his  will,  has  he  not  ?  " 

"1  believe  he  has,  Edith." 

"Well  —  well  —  I  have  an  imj^ortant  question  to  ask 
you,"  said  Edith,  at  a  loss  to  know  just  what  the  question 
was. 

Aha  !  thought  Webster,  so  what  Mrs.  Graham  said  was 
true.  Edith  has  sent  for  me  in  order  that  she  may  know 
how  soon  she  can  get  her  father's  money.  I  must  correct 
this  spirit  in  her — it  is  not  right. 

"If  you  are  executor  of  father's  will,"  began  Edith 
again,  "you  will  protect  my  interests  against  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham if  she  attempts  to  obtain  what  belongs  to  me,  will  you 
not  ?  " 

"  Edith,  it  pains  me  to  see  you  make  such  an  exhibition 
of  greed,"  began  uncle  Webster,  yielding  to  his  sense 
of  duty.  "Mrs.  Graham  and  I  will  protect  your  interests, 
and  I  trust  you  will  be  saving  of  your  father's  money  when 
it  comes." 

"I  shall  have  to  be  if  I  must  rely  upon  what  I  get  from 
her,"  said  Edith,  pointedly. 

"Edith  !  Edith  !  I  do  not  like  to  hear  you  speak  so  of 
Mrs.  Graham!"  said  Webster,  reprovingly.  "A  better 
woman  could  not  have  been  placed  in  her  position.  She  i& 
careful,  saving  and  shrewd  in  her  management  of  the 
affairs  of  your  father's  estate." 

"  She  usurps  the  place  of  a  woman  as  far  her  superior  as 
the  angels  are  to  mortals,"  said  Edith,  bitterly;  "and  you 
do  my  mother  no  credit  when  you  say  a  better  woman  could 
not  be  in  her  position.     A  better  woman  has  been  there, 

8 


114  FOILED. 

and  had  she  lived  I  would  not  now  be  vainly  supplicating 
jon  for  protection." 

''  I  respect  the  memory  of  your  mother,  Edith,  but  that 
should  be  no  cause  for  your  slanders  upon  Mrs.  Graham," 
rei')lied  uncle  Webster,  sadly. 

"  I  do  not  slander  her;  I  am  telling  you  only  the  truth. 
But  here  comes  Arthur  ;  he  can  explain  what  we  desi:e 
better  than  I,"  and  Edith. ushered  Arthur  into  the  room, 
while  uncle  Webster's  face  showed  his  determination  to  re- 
sist them  both. 

"1  was  just  telling  uncle  what  we  desired,  Arthur,"  said 
Judith  as  he  entered,  ''and  we  seem  to  have  misunderstood 
each  other.  Can  you  not  explain  it  so  that  he  can  more 
perfectly  understand  it  ?  " 

'*  It  is  a  very  simple  matter,"  replied  Arthur;  "all  we 
want  is  that  you  should  know  that  you  were  made  an  execu- 
tor for  the  purpose  of  protecting  Edith^s  interest  in  her 
father's  estate,  and  if  you  will  do  so." 

"  Edith  needs  no  protection,"  replied  uncle  Webster, 
*'  and  if  she  did  the  law  would  be  sufficient.  Both  Mrs. 
Graham  and  myself  desire  nothing  more  than  that  she  shall 
get  all  that  her  father  leaves  her,  and  use  it  well  when  she 
gets  it." 

''The  law  is  a  poor  protector,  uncle  Webster;  and 
excuse  me  if  I  again  ask  you  if  3'ou  will  protect  Edith's 
interests  against  Mrs.  Grahaui  ? " 

"  It  is  an  insult  to  Mrs.  Graham  to  ask  such  a  question," 
replied  Webster,  angrily,  "and  I  shall  leave  it  unanswered. 
I  am  very  sorry  that  your  minds  are  so  occupied  with  the 
thought  of  getting  this  money.  It  does  not  look  well  to 
be  so  grasping," 


FOILED,  115 

*'  When  you  know  Mrs.  Graham  as  thoroughly  as  I  do/' 
replied  Arthur,  earnestly,  ''you  will  more  fully  realize  that 
our  course  has  been  dictated  by  ordinary  prudence,  rather 
than  by  greed.  You  must  admit  that  Edith  is  entitled  to 
what  her  father  left  her,  whether  she  does  or  does  not  make 
an  effort  to  obtain  it.  This  is  a  self-evident  proposition, 
and  if  she  has  cause  to  believe  that  Mrs.  Graham  mtends 
to  keep  it  from  her,  the  fact  that  she  desires  you  to  do  your 
duty  does  not  admit  of  being  construed  into  an  appearance 
of  unseemly  haste  or  greed.  You  have,  as  I  understand 
it,  refused  to  comply  with  her  request,  and  we  can  only 
construe  your  silence  on  this  point  to  mean  that  you  are  so 
thoroughly  impressed  with  Mrs.  Graham's  apparent  honesty 
that  you  are  ready  to  accept  her  every  act  without  ques- 
tioning it.  That  you  are  wrong  in  this  impression  is 
fully  proven  by  father  Graham's  placing  you  in  this  j^osi- 
tion  to  defend  his  daughter  against  all  possibility  of  Mrs. 
Graham's  defeating  his  will.  Whether  he  was  correct  or 
not  in  his  judgment  of  your  ability  to  withstand  her  allur- 
ing smiles,  and  firmly  do  your  duty,  remains  to  be  seen." 

"  I  intend  to  do  my  duty,"  replied  Webster,  "  but  I  shall 
have  to  see  some  better  proofs  than  your  suspicions  before 
I  can  willingly  distrust  Mrs.  Graham." 

It  is  too  late,  thought  Arthur  ;  he  belongs  to  the  other 
side. 

Mrs.  Graham  was  not  a  little  surprised  when  she  returned 
home  to  find  that  uncle  Webster  had  gone  to  see  Edith, 
and  re-entering  her  carriage  she  ordered  that  it  be  driven 
there  at  once. 

"Ah,  good  morning,  Edith,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  as  with 


116  FOILED. 

her  most  pleasing  smile  she  entered  the  room  ;  "and  you, 
Arthur,  I  am  pleased  to  see  you  again  ;  it  has  been  a  long 
time  since  I  have  seen  you  all.     Are  you  both  well  ?  " 

"Very  well,  thank  you,"  replied  Arthur,  as  suave  in  his 
manner  as  was  Mrs.  Graham. 

"We  have  not  seen  you  at  the  house  lately;  have  you  so 
readily  forgotten  your  old  friends  ? "  continued  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, with  every  appearance  of  friendliness. 

"I  have  been  rather  busy,  and  when  I  return  at  night  I 
find  our  home  and  Edith's  company  so  agreeable  I  cannot 
bear  to  break  away,"  replied  Arthur,  gravely. 

"0,  yes ;  that  is  always  the  way  with  young  folks,"  re- 
plied Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  half -suppressed  sigh  ;  "  but 
they  soon  settle  down  to  the  humdrum  of  actual  fact." 

"That  may  be,  but  we  have  not  arrived  at  that  point 
yet,"  replied  Arthur,  quietly. 

"No,  I  suppose  not.  But,  by  the  way,  I  have  Just 
returned  from  the  lawyers,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  turning  to 
the  others,  "and  he  suggests  that  it  is  time  to  begin  set- 
tling the  estate.  I  believe  that  everything  necessary  has 
been  done,  and  we  are  now  ready  to  probate  the  will." 

Ah,  thought  Arthur,  this  is  what  she  has  had  on  her 
mind  all  the  time,  and  now  speaks  of  it  as  if  it  had  just 
occurred  to  her. 

"There  is  one  thing  I  should  like  to  have  done  first," 
said  Edith,  quietly. 

"And  what  is  that  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  turning 
sharply,  upon  her. 

"  I  should  like  to  have  the  will  read.  I  believe  it  is 
customarj',"  said  Edith,  doubtfully. 


FOILED.  117 

**0,  certainly,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  sneer,  "if 
you  have  so  much  curiosity  in  such  matters.  Thank 
heaven  !  I  have  not." 

Her  manner  exasiDcrated  Arthur  to  the  highest  pitch, 
and  smarting  under  the  cruel  wrongs  he  now  knew  she  had 
inflicted  upon  Edith  for  so  many  years,  he  turned  upon  her 
in  righteous  indignation,  and  said  ; 

''No,  you  have  no  curiosity  now,  because  you  sought 
and  found  how  well  you  were  provided  for  by  the  will  just 
as  soon  as  your  husband  was  in  his  grave  I  There,  un- 
cle Webster,  is  a  sample  of  indecent  haste  that  is  worthy 
of  your  attention  !  " 

"Who  told  you  that  ?"  demanded  Mrs.  Graham,  angrily. 

"'No  matter  who  told  me,"  replied  Arthur,  fiercely. 
"  Deny  it  and  I  will  produce  the  proof." 

Tears  were  her  only  consolation,  and  between  her  chok- 
ing sobs  she  said : 

''And  must  I — be  insulted  in  this  manner — now  that  I — 
have  no  protector  ?  " 

"I  have  no  desire  to  insult  you,"  replied  Arthur,  "but 
toward  Edith  your  actions  are  simply  unbearable,  and  must 
cease." 

Edith,  as  was  her  custom  when  Mrs.  Graham  was  near 
her,  was  trembling  in  her  chair,  while  Webster  sat  by,  an 
interested  but  docile  spectator. 

Finding  that  her  tears  did  not  accomplish  their  object, 
Mrs.  Graham  quickly  brushed  them  aside,  and  rising,  said 
to  Webster  :  "We  had  better  be  going."  Then  turning  to 
Arthur,  she  said,  plaintively  :  "I  do  not  desire  to  quarrel 
with  you." 


118  FOILED. 

"Then  be  just  to  Edith  and  the  greatest  cause  will  be 
removed,"  replied  Arthur,  decisively. 

"It  is  my  desire  to  do  so,^'  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  impres- 
sively, as  she  took  her  leave. 

"I  wonder  what  is  in  store  for  us  now? "said  Edith, 
after  they  had  gone. 

*^I  do  not  know,"  replied  Arthur,  determinedly,  "but  I 
will  meet  them  wherever  they  choose  and  as  best  I  can. 
They  have  the  advantage  of  position,  but  we  have  right  on 
our  side  and  must  trust  to  that." 

"I  found,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  when  she  and  Webster 
were  seated  in  her  carriage,  "that  I  had  a  little  time  to 
spare,  and  concluded  we  had  better  close  the  bargain  with 
Mr.  Skinner  at  once,  so  I  called  on  him  and  told  him  we 
had  concluded  to  accept  his  proposition — was  that  as  you 
desired  ?" 

"Yes,  that  is  perfectly  satisfactory  to  me,"  replied  Web- 
ster. "We  talked  it  over  and  that  was  what  we  decided 
upon,  I  think." 

"  That  is  as  I  understood  it,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  "and 
as  he  was  anxious  to  begin,  I  consented  that  he  should  have 
the  will  brought  into  court,  and  day  after  to-morrow  we 
are  to  appear." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  know  it  is  to  be  so  soon,  for  I  feel  that  I 
must  get  back  home,"  replied  Webster,  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"Then  what  I  did  suits  you  ?" 

"Yes,  perfectly." 

"Well,  I  am  rejoiced  at  that,  Webster,  for  I  was  a  little 
timid  about  giving  my  consent  without  you  were  present." 

"  I  have  perfect  confidence  in  your  judgment,"  replied 


FOILED.  119 

Webster,  reassuringly  ;  ''but  I  fear  Arthur  and  Edith  intend 
to  make  us  trouble." 

-    "  0,  pshaw  !     What  can  he  do  ?  "  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
with  evident  disgust. 

"That  is  true.     A.t  best,  he  could  only  worry  us." 

■'  I'll  risk  his  worrying  me  while  we  have  the  law  and 
power  on  our  side,  for  if  we  were  to  delay  giving  Edith  her 
money  only  a  short  time  they  would  be  only  too  glad  to 
abandon  any  notions  they  may  now  have  of  making  trouble. 
0,  no ;  I  fear  no  opposition  from  that  source,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  confident  of  her  position. 

"I  think  we  hold  the  reins,"  said  Webster,  chuckling, 
''  and,  as  you  say,  need  fear  no  trouble  from  them.  But  from 
Arthur's  actions  I  feared  he  might  be  inclined  to  make 
trouble  ;  I  did  not  like  the  way  he  spoke  to  you  wlien  we 
were  there." 

"0,  well,  I  don't  mind  those  things  as  I  used  to,"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  resignedly;  "I  have  grown  accustomed  to 

them."  • 

"It  shows  a  very  bad  disposition,  to  say  the  least,"  con- 
tinued Webster. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  "but  I  have  seen  so  much 
of  it  that  I  do  not  mind  it  now." 

The  next  morning  Arthur  received  word  from  Mr.  Blood 
that  he  had  been  called  upon  to  file  the  will  in  court. 

"  What  shall  we  do  about  it  ?"  said  Arthur,  after  Edith 
had  finished  reading  the  note. 

"I  would  advise  you  to  see  Mr.  Blood,  and  have  him 
watch  them,"  replied  Edith,  earnestly. 

Arthur  placed  the  note  in  his  pocket  and  started  for  Mr. 
Blood's  office.     Entering,  he  said  : 


120  FOILED. 

''Mr.  Blood,  we  have  decided  to  have  you  watch  this 
matter  for  my  wife.  I  feel  an  uneasiness  that  I  cannot 
explain.  The  more  I  think  about  it,  the  more  I  believe  this 
to  be  the  proper  course." 

"All  right,"  replied  Mr.  Blood.  "I  will  enter  her 
appearance,  and  hereafter  they  can  take  no  step  without 
first  notifying  me." 

''That  is  what  I  want,"  said  Arthur,  earnestly;  "for 
Mrs.  G-raham's  words — '  I  will  be  accountable  to  no  other 
living  man' — ring  in  my  ears  yet,  and  it  seems  to  me  that 
if  you  have  to  be  notified  each  time  she  attempts  to  do 
anything,  she  comes  pretty  close  to  being  accountable  to 
Edith.  But  why  was  she  so  anxious  to  impress  me  with  the 
idea  that  she  would  not  be  accountable  ?  " 

"It  is  very  plain  to  me  that  she  intended  to  carry  this 
business  with  a  high  hand,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  "and  this 
was  her  warning  to  you  not  to  interfere." 

"Well,  you  attend  to  it,  Mr.  Blood,  and  we  will  see  what 
her  warning  amounts  to,"  said  Arthur,  greatly  relieved  by 
his  assurances. 

Mrs.  Graham  was  somewhat  in  doubt  as  to  how  Webster 
would  act  in  regard  to  her  award,  and  as  she  felt  that  any 
mention  of  it  by  her  would  only  tend  to  arouse  his  suspi- 
cions in  regard  to  it,  she  wisely  decided  that  it  would  be 
best  for  him  to  first  hear  of  it  in  the  bustle  and  excitement 
of  their  preparations  to  enter  court.  She  therefore  deci- 
ded to  go  with  him,  on  the  appointed  day,  to  Mr.  Skinner's 
oJB&ce  in  time  to  have  the  matter  settled  before  the  opening 
of  the  court ;  so  entering,  she  said  : 

"Mr.  Skinner,  this  is  Webster  Graham,  the  executor  of 


FOILED.  123 

my  husband's  will,  and  you  had  best  explain  to  him  as  you 
have  to  me  the  formal  proceedings  we  shall  have  to  go 
through." 

"  They  are,  in  brief,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  in  a  bustling, 
off-hand  manner,  "  the  filing  of  the  will  in  court,  proof 
of  heirship  of  the  daughter,  appointing  of  appraisers  to 
place  a  value  upon  the  personal  property,  the  allowance  of 
the  widow's  award,  and  issuing  of  letters  of  administration 
to  yourself  and  Mrs.  Graham.  These  are  merely  the  mat- 
ters of  routine  business  that  will  occur,  and  will  hardly 
need  your  presence  except  for  advice  as  to  whom  the  ap- 
praisers should  be  ;  the  other  matters  I  can  handle  with 
very  little  trouble." 

"  He  knows  best,"  suggested  Mrs.  Graham,  "  and  we 
had  better  leave  these  matters  to  him,  had  we  not,  Web- 
ster ?" 

"Undoubtedly,  undoubtedly,"  replied  the  now  thor- 
oughly dazed  old  gentleman,  to  whom  the  disposal  of  these 
weighty  matters  in  so  unceremonious  a  manner,  by  Mr. 
Skinner,  raised  him  in  his  estimation  just  in  proportion  as 
their  importance  diminished  in  his. 

"I  think  I  understand  you,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  with  a 
knowing  look  at  Mrs.  Graham,  "and  we  had  better  go 
over  to  the  court  room  now,  so  that  we  will  be  ready  when 
court  opens." 

"■  He  seems  to  thoroughly  understand  his  business,"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  as  she  and  Webster  were  seated  in  the  court 
room  watching  Mr.  Skinner  in  his  preparations. 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  pretty  sharp  one,"  replied  Webster. 

"And  the  picture  of  honesty,"  suggested  Mrs.  Graham. 


122  FOILED. 

''0,  he  is  honest  enough,  no  doubt ;  but  we  must  look 
out  for  his  charges,"  replied  Webster,  ever  on  the  alert  to 
save  the  pennies  while  the  thousands  were  slipping  out  of 
his  reach  unnoticed. 

"  0,  that  is  all  arranged/'  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  confi- 
dently ;  "he  cannot  charge  us  more  than  the  forty  dol- 
lars. " 

"  Is  the  will  of  Stewart  Graham  in  court  ?"  asked  Judge 
Winters  from  the  bench. 

''It  is,  your  Honor,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner. 

''Are  the  executors  present  ?" 

"They  are;  and  here  is  the  proof  of  heirship  of  the 
daughter  and  the  other  documents  relating  to  the  case." 

"  You  have  examined  them,  I  suppose  ?" 

"I  have." 

"  Then  let  them  be  shown  to  the  attorney  representing  the 
daughter." 

Mrs.  Graham  looked  at  Uncle  Webster  in  utter  astonish- 
ment. Up  to  this  point  the  proceedings  had  been  to  her 
liking,  but  now  an  unlooked-for  element  had  crept  in  and 
placed  her  position  in  uncertainty. 

"  What  does  this  mean?"  demanded  Mrs.  Graham  of  Mr. 
Skinner,  as  Mr.  Blood  quietly  advanced  and  took  up  the 
papers. 

"Your  daughter's  attorney,  I  believe,"  said  Mr.  Skin- 
ner, composedly. 

"She's  not  my  daughter!"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  indig- 
nantly. "What  business  has  she  to  interfere?  Why 
don't  you  demand  those  papers  from  Mr.  Blood  ?  He  has  no 
right  to  them." 


FOILED.  133 

"  Yes,  as  the  daughter's  attorney  he  is  entitled  to  exam- 
ine all  the  papers  and  object  to  them  if  he  desires  ;  and  I 
fear  that  is  what  he  is  going  to  do  in  regard  to  the 
award. " 

Mrs.  Graham  flushed  with  indignation,  and  'found  it 
hard  to  keej)  her  seat ;  but  when  Mr.  Blood,  after  finish- 
ing his  perusal  of  the  papers,  arose,  she  was  all  attention 
to  catch  his  every  word. 

"  Your  Honor,"  began  Mr.  Blood,  ''I  am  somewhat  sur- 
prised at  the  contents  of  some  of  these  papers,  esjoecially 
as  they  are  presented  in  connection  with  this  will,  with  the 
provisions  of  which  they  are  in  direct  opposition  ;  and  if 
the  widow  respects  the  will  of  her  deceased  husband,  or  if 
she  desires  to  be  just,  she  cannot  make  these  claims  upon 
this  estate.  This  is  true  as  relates  to  the  exact  wording  of 
the  will.  As  to  the  wishes  of  Mr.  Graham,  I  can  say 
that  I  drew  this  will,  and  I  know  that  it  was  to  avoid  just 
such  claims  as  this  that  he,  after  giving  her  one-third  of  his 
estate,  inserted  the  clause — '  in  lieu  of  all  dower  rights  or 
other  claims  which  she  may  have  in  and  to  my  estate  '■ — and 
unless  wiser  counsels  prevail  and  this  claim  is  withdrawn, 
I,  as  the  attorney  for  the  daughter,  shall  advise  her  to  re- 
sist so  unjust  a  claim  to  the  full  extent  of  the  law." 

Had  a  thunderbolt  shot  into  their  midst  it  could  not 
have  more  unsettled  the  three  against  whom  it  was  directed. 

Mr.  Skinner  was  for  the  moment  nonplussed  and  ill  at 
ease ;  he  could  not  find  words  for  a  reply. 

Mrs.  Graham  and  Webster  both  felt  that  Mr.  Blood  was 
the  cause  of  all  the  trouble- — "Webster,  because  he  inno- 
cently believed  the  law  would  only  permit  what  was  right 


124  FOILED. 

to  be  done  ;  Mrs.  Graham,  because  she  knew  that  without 
Mr.  Blood,  Edith  would  not  have  known  of  it  until  too 
late. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  court,"  said 
Judge  Winters,  rising,  ''that  the  testator  desired  his  widow 
to  receive  only  the  amount  that  he  gives  her  in  his  will ; 
but  if,  against  his  expressed  wishes,  the  widow  demands 
her  award,  I  can  see  no  way  to  prevent  it.  Knowing  this,  if 
the  widow  desires  to  take  this  award,  and  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, I  must  set  it  off  to  her  " 

"We  would  be  pleased  to  have  you  appoint  the  apprais- 
ers, and  the  executors  suggest  that  these  be  the  persons 
selected,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  who  had  now  regained  his 
composure,  and  he  handed  Judge  Winters  the  names  of  the 
three  whom  they  had  decided  upon. 

"  If  they  are  not  objected  to,"  said  Judge  Winters,"  I  will 
appoint  these  three  to  act  as  the  appraisers  of  the  personal 
property,  and  to  decide  upon  the  amount  of  the  widow's 
award. " 

"They  are  satisfactory  to  me,"  replied  Mr.  Blood  ;  I 
know  two  of  them  very  well ;  but  the  third  one — who  is 
he?" 

"He  is  my  clerk," replied  Mr.  Skinner. 

"Well,  I  can't  say  that  I  approve  of  that,"  said  Mr. 
Blood,  doubtfully  ;  "however,  the  other  two  will  keep  him 
straight." 

"We  would  like  the  letters  of  administration  to  be 
issued  to  the  executors,"  continued  Mr.  Skinner. 

"  It  has  come  to  my  notice  that  the  testator's  brother  is 
not  a  resident  of  this  State,"  said  Judge  Winters,  "  and  if 


FOILED.  125 

such  is  the  case^  he  cannot  act  as  an  executor  of  this  will." 

"That  is  too  bad  I"  said  Mrs.  Graham^  turning  to  Web- 
ster ;  *'  I  shall  miss  you  so  much  ! " 

"  I  feel  greatly  relieved,"  whisi^ered  Webster,  ''  and  you 
can  carry  it  on  just  as  well  without  me." 

"Your  Honor,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  rising  hastily,  "if  you 
will  allow  me  to  argue  a  case  after  the  decision  is  made 
against  me,  I  would  like  to  say  that  Mr.  Graham  placed  his 
brother  in  this  position  for  a  purpose  :  that  purpose  was  to 
defend  the  daughter,  and  others  interested,  against  any 
acts  of  his  widow  that  might  be  detrimental  to  them. 
Whether  this  was,  or  was  not,  a  wise  act  on  his  part,  would 
seem  to  be  fully  answered  by  her  acts  here  ;  and  if  I  thought 
that  I  could  by  any  means  induce  your  Honor  to  reconsider 
your  decision,  I  would  be  well  pleased  to  lay  the  whole  case 
before  you,  for  I  deem  it  a  most  important  matter  that 
Webster  Graham  be  accepted  as  an  executor." 

When  Mrs.  Graham  and  her  attorney  had  plotted  the 
overthrow  of  Webster  they  had  not  foreseen  the  effect  that 
Mr.  Blood's  presence  would  have,  and  her  whispered  words 
of  condolence  to  Webster  when  it  was  announced  that  he 
could  not  be  accepted  as  an  executor  was  all  in  conformity 
to  a  pre-arranged  plan;  but  now,  almost  without  her  know- 
ledge of  the  source,  she  was  being  worried  by  Arthur  through 
Mr.  Blood^s  "earnest  advocacy  of  Webster's  cause,  which 
forced  the  conspirators  to  either  show  their  friendship  or 
openly  oppose  him. 

"  I  should  very  much  like  to  see  Webster  Graham  an 
executor,  and  would  urge  that  he  be  accepted,  were  it  not 
for  the  fact  that  the  court  has  given  his  opinion  adversely. 


126  FOILED. 

and  there  is  now  no  appeal,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  under 
the  i^romptings  of  Mrs.  Graham. 

''  If  I  were  certain  that  he  would  be  i^resent  when  needed, 
I  would  consent  to  his  acting  as  an  executor,  as  there  now 
seems  to  be  no  opposing  voice,"  said  Judge  Winters,  looking 
inquiringly  at  Mr.  Skinner. 

Mrs.  Graham  scowled  darkly  at  Mr.  Blood  as  she  realized 
that  he  had  again  defeated  their  plans.- 

*'*He  says  he  would  like  to  be  excused,  but  if  it  is  decided 
as  best  that  he  be  accepted,  he  will  be  here  as  often  as  neces- 
sary," replied  Mr.  Skinner,  reluctantly. 

''Webster  Graham  will  act  as  one  of  the  executors,"  said 
Judge  Winters.     "  Is  that  all,  Mr.  Skinner  ?" 

''That  is  all." 

"  Call  the  next  case,"  said  Judge  Winters,  as  the  execu- 
tors arose  to  leave. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DIAMOXD    CUTS    DIAMON"D. 

Arthur  was  busily  engaged,  and  all  unconscious  of  these 
scenes,  when,  to  his  surprise,  Mrs.  Graham  suddenly 
appeared  before  him,  and  in  breathless  excitement,  asked  : 

''What  does  all  this  mean,  Arthur  ?    Why  have  you  done 

this  r 

Not  quite  as  ignorant  as  he  seemed,  for  he  quickly 
surmised  that  she  had  unexpectedly  encountered  Mr. 
Blood,  he  asked  : 

''To  what  do  you  refer  ?" 

"Why  this  man — this  lawyer  that  has  been  shadowing 
us  all  the  afternoon  in  the  court  room." 

"  0,  you  must  mean  Mr.  Blood,"  said  Arthur,  quietly. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Blood,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  impetuously. 

"0,  we  had  him  there  just  to  watch  the  proceedings, 
and  report  to  us,"  said  Arthur,  indifferently.  You  see, 
Mrs.  Graham,  this  was  our  only  recourse  after  you  decided 
that  you  would  be  accountable  to  '  no  living  man.'  " 

"  But  what  is  the  necessity  for  his  being  present  ? " 
demanded  Mrs.  Graham.  "  Why  do  you  incur  this  expense  ? 
Mr.  Skinner  is  your  attorney  as  much  as  ours.  Now, 
Arthur,  will  you  not  discharge  this  man  and  stop  this 
fighting  against  the  law  ?  " 

127 


128  FOILED. 

*'  The  fact  that  his  presence  makes  you  uneasy  and  that 
you  insist  upon  his  discharge  is  the  best  reason  I  can  give 
you  why  we  should  retain  him,"  replied  Arthur,  with  a  quiet 
smile. 

"You  need  have  no  fears  that  we  would  or  could  harm 
you,  Arthur,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  earnestly;  *'and  if  we 
desired  to,  the  law  would  prevent  us  from  doing  so." 

*^And  you  need  have  no  fears  that  Mr.  Blood  can  harm 
you,  Mrs.  Graham,  for  if  you  do  right  he  cannot  interfere  ; 
but  if  you  desire  to  do  that  which  is  wrong,  then,  most 
assuredly,  we  need  him,  and  shall  keep  him  where  he  can 
prevent  it,  even  against  your  wishes." 

''Then  you  will  not  discharge  him  and  stop  all  this 
trouble  ?"  demanded  Mrs.  Graham,  exciteilly. 

"  I  can  see  no  good  reason  for  doing  so,"  replied  Arthur^ 
firmly. 

"  You  may  see  hereafter  why  you  should  have  done  so," 
replied  MrSo  Graham^  as,  baffled  and  ill  at  ease,  she  returned 
to  her  carriage,  where  timid  Webster  Graham  sat  anxiously 
awaiting  her  return.    « 

''What  did  he  say  ?"  began  Webster,  as  Mrs.  Graham 
took  her  scat  beside  him. 

"0,  he  is  determined  in  his  course,"  replied  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, in  a  voice  that  showed  no  emotion,  "and  will  not 
discharge  his  lawyer,  even  though  I  pointed  out  to  him  the 
certainty  that  his  course  must  result  in  trouble  and  expense 
to  him." 

Webster  made  no  reply,  and  but  little  more  was  said  as  they 
journeyed  homeward.  Mrs.  Graham  felt  she  was  on  dan- 
gerous ground.     If  Webster  should  share  Arthur's  views, 


\ 


FOILED.  129 

and  it  should  come  to  his  notice  that  she  had  made  the 
attempt  to  have  Judge  Winters  reject  him,  it  would  be  a 
serious  matter  for  the  success  of  her  plans  ;  and  if  the  rela- 
tives should  hear  of  it,  what  view  would  they  take  of  her 
course  in  demanding  more  than  the  will  gave  her  ?  She' 
could  but  confess  to  herself  the  probability  that  they  would 
agree  with  Arthur,  for  it  v/as  to  their  interest  to  do  so  ; 
for  if  she  had  been  defeated  in  her  attempt  to  obtain  her 
award,  they,  of  course,  would  have  been  the  gainers  as  well 
as  Edith.  How  best  to  approach  Webster  so  as  to  gain  hini 
over  to  her  side,  was  the  problem  that  kept  her  thoughts' 
busy  until  they  reached  home.  But  her  keen  judgment 
and  plausible  arguments  did  not  forsake  her  now  ;  and 
when  she  alighted  from  her  carriage  her  plans  were  made, 
and  she  ready  for  the  herculean  task  of  convincing  Web- 
ster, against  his  own  interest  and  with  all  the  facts  against 
her,  that  she  was  in  the  right. 

'' Because  Edith  is  not  satisfied  with  her  father's  will 
and  has  determined  to  fight  against  it,  it  seems  unjust  that' 
the  estate  must  bear  the  expense  of  their  foolishness," 
began  Mrs.  Graham,  as  she  laid  aside  her  wrappings  and 
returned  to  the  room  where  Webster  was  sitting. 

This  was  a  matter  that  had  not  as  yet  been  considered  by 
him,  and,  as  his  answer  proved,  the  suggestion  of  it  did 
Mrs.  Graham  credit  for  her  judgment. 

''If  Arthur  and  Edith  think  they  are  going  to  have  a 
circus,  and  the  estate  pay  the  bills,  they  are  sadly  mistaken. 
I  have  seen  too  much  of  law  in  my  time  to  be  easily  fooled 
by  children  now,''  replied  Webster,  determinedly. 

"0,  I  do  not  mean  that  they  expect  their  lawyer  will  be 

9 


130  FOILED. 

paid  by  the  estate  ;  but  in  their  efforts  to  break  the  will  they 
will  not  only  have  to  spend  their  own  money,  but  will  cause 
the  estate  to  spend  large  sums  in  defending  the  will 
against  their  efforts  to  break  it." 

"  They  will  never  succeed  in  that,  let  me  tell  you,  or  my 
name  is  not  Webster  Graham." 

Well,  I  am  sure  of  him,  thought  Mrs.  Graham, — now 
for  the  others. 

"  I  was  thinking  that  if  Arthur  was  to  gain  the  confidence 
of  his  uncle  Ralph's  family  by  a  plausible  story,  '  they 
might  believe  him,  and,  not  rightly  understanding  tlie 
ca?o,  be  induced  by  him  to  oppose  us." 

'•0,  he  would  have  no  influence  with  them  ;  why  he  is 
only  a  boy,"  replied  Webster  with  a  sneer. 

"That  is  very  true.  But  suppose  that  Mr.  Blood  should 
dictate  a  letter  for  him,  could  he  not  make  falsehood  ap- 
jiear  like  the  truth  to  them  ?  And  would  it  not  be  much 
better  for  us  to  inform  them  exactly  how  the  case  is,  than 
to  run  this  risk  ?" 

"Well,  if  that  is  so,  you  liad  better  do  it  and  set  the 
matter  at  rest,"  replied  Webster,  who  was  only  too  anxious 
to  avoid  all  unnecessary  work. 

^'But  that  is  just  what  I  want  you  to  do,  as  your  judg- 
ment would  have  much  more  weight  with  them  than  mine," 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  patronizingly.  "And  you  must  not 
forget  the  difference  in  our  relationship  to  them,  which  is 
an  important  factor  in  so  delicate  a  matter  as  this." 

"But  I  would  hardly  know  what  to  write,"  replied 
Webster,  greatly  perplexed. 

*' You  were  present  this  afternoon  and  heard  what  trans- 
pired ?" 


"  Yes,  but  I  hardly  understood  what  was  said,"  replied 
Webster,  doubtfully. 

'*  Well,  you  write  and  I  will  dictate,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
hardly  able  to  repress  her  smiles  at  the  success  of  her  ruse. 

So,  in  the  handwriting  of  uncle  Webster,  Mrs.  Graham 
wrote  : 

*'My  Dear  Sister  Lucy  : 

"In  settling  the  estate  of  our  brother,  we  had  hoped 
to  have  as  little  publicity  and  scandal  as  possible  ;  but  for 
some  unaccountable  reason  Edith  has  employed  a  lawyer 
and  begun  proceedings  to  break  her  father's  will,  hoping 
thereby  to  obtain  all  her  father's  property,  including  the  por- 
tion that  he  left  to  you  and  your  children.  To  keep  her 
from  doing  this  will  require  a  large  expenditure  of  money, 
and  result  in  a  great  delay  in  settling  the  estate  ;  and  should 
she  succeed,  you  would  all  be  defrauded  of  that  which 
rightfully  belongs  to  you.  Both  Mrs.  Graham  and  I  join 
in  the  request  that  you  will  not  in  any  way  encourage  her, 
or  lend  your  influence  to  her,  in  so  unjust  a  proceeding. 
She  will,  no  doubt,  write  you  most  plausible  excuses  for 
her  actions,  and  I  write  you  this  in  order  that  you  may 
fully  understand  the  matter,  and  the  more  readily  compre- 
hend their  purposes. 

'•  Yours  sincerely, 

"  Webster  Graham."' 

"  What  could  I  have  done  without  your  advice  and  aid  ?" 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  resuming  her  conversation  when  the 
letter  was  finished.  "And  when  I  think  how  nearly  suc- 
cessful Edith  was  in  her  attempt  to  have  Judge  Winters 
reject  you,  it  makes  me  shudder  !" 

"And  did  Edith  do  that  ?  "  inquired  Webster,  indig- 
nantly. 


133  FOILED. 

"  Who  else  could  it  be,  Webster  ?  It  was  as  much  a 
part  of  her  plan  as  the  other.  You  would  not  believe  me 
the  other  day  when  I  told  you  how  her  love  of  money  had 
grown  upon  her  ;  but  a  few  more  lessons  like  these  you 
have  received  to-day  will  soon  convince  you ;  and  if  I  were 
left  alone  with  no  one  to  advise  and  counsel  with  me  while 
every  one's  hand  is  against  me,  my  fate  would  indeed  be 
sad  !  "  and  tears  filled  her  eyes  as  she  continued :  "But 
you  have  been  my  protector,  and  I  feel  much  more  thank- 
ful than  I  can  express  in  words.  Had  you  failed  me,  I 
would  not  have  had  courage  to  go  on." 

"I  am  not  a  man  that  would  desert  yon  in  times  like 
these,"  said  Webster,  much  affected  by  Mrs.  Graham's 
apparent  sorrow,  ' '  and  I  will  go  and  see  Edith  and  show 
her  where  she  is  wrong  ;  and  when  she  sees  it  as  we  do,  she 
will  discharge  that  lawyer,  and  we  will  have  an  end  of  this 
trouble.  For  this  lawyer  is  the  cause  of  all  this  mischief  ; 
I  feel  certain  that  he  is.  He  wants  to  make  a  large  fee  out 
of  this  estate,' and  gives  her  bad  advice  in  order  that  he 
may  appear  to  earn  it.  I'll  go  and  see  her  and  straighten 
out  the  matter  very  quickly." 

Edith  was  sitting  by  the  window  awaiting  Arthur's  return, 
when,  to  her  surprise,  she  saw  uncle  Webster  making  his 
way  to  the  house,  and  ushering  him  in,  said  :  ' 

"Well,  uncle,  I  hardly  hoped  you  would  come  so  soon 
again  ;  and  now  you  are  here  you  must  stay  to  tea." 

"JSTo,  Edith,"  rei3lied  Webster,  "I  came  to  talk  with 
you  on  a  matter  of  serious  importance  to  us  all.  You  see 
you  have  gotten  into  the  clutches  of  one  of  these  unprinci- 
pled lawyers,  and  naturally  he  wants  to  make  all  the  money 


i 


FOILED.  133 

he  can,  and  so  gives  you  bad  advice  in  order  to  make  more 
trouble  and  larger  fees  for  himself.  Now,  when  he  advised 
you  to  try  and  break  your  father^s  will,  he  did  not  give — " 

"  But  ho  has  not  advised  me  to  break  father's  will,"  in- 
terrupted Edith. 

"Well,  it's  all  the  same — when  he  advised  Arthur  to  try 
and  break  the  will,  he  was  not  giving  him  the  advice  that 
was  for  your  best  interests." 

"And  you  say  that  Arthur  has  employed  a  lawyer  to 
break  father's  will  ?  0,  no  !"  said  Edith,  shaking  her 
head,  doubtfully.  "You  must  be  mistaken  ;  I  feel  certain 
that  you  are." 

"  But  I  was  there  and  saw  the  whole  performance,  and  I 
know  that  is  what  Mister  Lawyer  tried  to  do,"  jiersisted 
Webster. 

"  If  he  did,  I  am  certain  it  was  without  Arthur's  knowl- 
edge or  consent,"  replied  Edith,  positively. 

"  0,  that  is  not  likely,  Edith ;  a  lawyer  would  not  at- 
tempt to  do  that  without  the  consent  of  his  client." 

"  It  sounds  much  more  like  Mrs.  Graham  than  like 
Arthur,  and  I  am  sure  there  is  a  mistake  somewhere,"  said 
Edith,  firmly.  "But  here  comes  Arthur;  he  can  answer 
for  himself." 

"Arthur,  you  have  not  allowed  Mr.  Blood  to  try  and 
break  father's  will,  have  you?"  asked  Edith,  confidently. 

"No,  certainly  I  have  not  I"  replied  Arthur.  "But 
why  do  you  ask  ?  " 

"There  !"  said  Edith,  exultingly — "I  knew  he  had 
not  ! " 

"  Who  says  I  have  ?  "  demanded  Arthur. 


134  FOILED. 

*'  Why,  some  one  has  told  uncle  Webster  that  Mr.  Blood, 
by  your  advice,  tried  to  break  the  will,  and  I  denied  it." 

''And  you  did  right  ! "  Then,  turning  to  Webster,  he 
continued  :  ''And,  uncle  Webster,  you  can  tell  any  one 
who  makes  that  charge,  that  he  either  does  not  understand 
the  case  or  wilfully  lies." 

"  But  I — that  is,  Mrs.  Graham — we — well — we  so  under- 
stood it,"  reiDlied  Webster,  somewhat  taken  aback  by 
Arthur's  strong  denial. 

"0,  I  beg  pardon  !"  said  Arthur,  quickly,  "I  did  not 
understand  that  it  was  you  who  made  the  charge,  but  may 
I  ask  your  reasons  for  so  doing  ?  " 

"Well — we  were  in  court, " replied  Webster,  hesitatingly. 

"Yes." 

"Well  —  we  saw  —  "and  Webster  hesitated,  a  little  in 
doubt  as  to  just  what  he  had  seen. 

"You  saw,"  said  Arthur,  impetuously,  "an  attempt  on 
the  part  of  Mrs.  Graham  to  break  the  will  to  the  extent 
of  grasping  more  than  she  was  entitled  to  by  it ;  and  you 
also  saw  Edith's  lawyer  protest  against  her  attempted  rob- 
bery ;  but  you  did  not  see  any  action  of  our  attorney  that 
could  be  tortured  into  an  attempt  by  him  to  break  father 
Graham's  will — now,  did  you  ?  " 

"But  Mrs.  Graham  did  not  ask  for  this  award,"  said 
Webster,  ignoring  Arthur's  pointed  question.  "  The  law 
gave  it  to  her  and  she  had  nothing  to  say  in  the  matter. " 

"Let  us  settle  one  question  at  a  time,"  persisted  Arthur. 
"  You  have  made  the  charge  that  we,  or  our  attorney,  tried 
to  break  the  will ;  I  have  denied  it,  and  ask  you  to  point 
out  one  act  that  we  have  done  that  proves  your  chui-ge  to 
be  justly  made." 


FOILED.  135 

"  I  think  we  are  both  a  little  excited,"  said  Webster, 
disappointedly,  "  and  had  better  drop  the  subject  until 
some  future  time." 

"It  is  a  fair  question  and  should  receive  a  straightfor- 
ward answer,"  persisted  Arthur.  ''You  can  at  least  say  yes 
or  no. " 

But  Webster  was  not  to  be  caught  so  easily.  He  had 
called  for  the  purpose  of  convincing  Edith  and  Arthur  that 
they  were  wrong,  and  in  that  way  setting  the  matter  right ; 
so,  with  a  grim  determination,  he  again  returned  to  the 
matter  of  Mrs.  Graham's  award. 

"  You  see,"  he  continued,  "  you  are  both  mistaken  as  to 
Mrs.  Graham's  intentions  ;  and  instead  of  inquiring  of  her 
what  she  intends  to  do,  and  why,  you  suspicion  her  of 
dishonesty,  and  even  theft." 

"But  Mrs.  Graham  gave  me  notice  some  time  ago  that 
she  would  not  be  accountable  to  us,"  replied  Arthur.  "And 
beside  all  that,  her  own  acts  condemn  her ;  for  if  you 
claim  that  the  law  gives  her  this  award,  and  that  she  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it,  how  do  you  account  for  the  fact  that 
she  signed  the  paper  demanding  that  this  award  be  set  off 
to  her." 

"  Easy  enough  :  it  was  only  a  formal  compliance  with 
the  law.  And,  Arthur,  if  you  had  only  asked  for  these 
explanations  before  you  hired  that  lawyer,  much  ill-feeling 
would  have  been  saved,  and  you  would  have  been  better 
off  in  many  ways.  If  Mrs.  Graham  was  so  disposed,  she 
could  delay  the  settlement  of  the  estate  knd  keep  Edith 
from  having  her  portion  for  many  years.  But  she  is  not 
inclined  to  do  this,  even  after  your  opposition  and  false 


136  FOILED. 

charges  have  been  brought  to  her  attention.  And  now  I 
can  assure  you  that  it  will  be  to  your  interest  to  discharge 
this  lawyer  and  stop  fighting  and  making  these  charges 
against  Mrs.  Graham,  then,  when  you  are  in  doubt,  go  to 
Mrs.  Graham,  or  write  me,  and  we  can  soon  explain  matters 
satisfactorily.^' 

"Well,"  said  Arthur,  comj)lacently,  "suppose  you  be- 
gin to  explain  some  of  the  doubts  now.  I  should  like  to 
know,  for  one  thing,  how  it  is  that  Mrs.  Graham  can  take 
this  much  more  than  father  Graham  intended  her  to  and 
not,  in  spirit,  at  least,  be  breaking  the  will  f"' 

"  Well,  the  law  provides  that  a  widow  shall  have  an 
award,  even  though  it  is  forgotten  in  the  will,"  began 
Webster,  uneasily. 

"  There  is  no  forgetting  in  this  case,"  replied  Arthur, 
positively,  "for  your  brother  particularly  sj^ecifies  that 
w  hat  the  will  gives  her  shall  be  in  place  of  all  these  claims 
that  she  may  have  by  law,  and  the  law  would  not  give  her 
this  award  if  she  had  not  demanded  it  in  writing.  You 
would  not  consent  that  she  should  take  the  jDortion  that 
the  will  gives  her,  and  in  excess  of  that  allow  her  to  claim 
her  dower  and  homestead  and  widow's  award,  would  you  ?" 

"ISTo,  most  assuredly  not,"  replied  Webster,  confi- 
dently. 

"Then  why  do  you  agree  to  her  demand  for  any  one  of 
them  ?  All  of  them  would  be  given  her  if  there  was  no 
will,  and  she  would  only  have  to  formally  comply  with  the 
law,  as  you  call  it,  to  obtain  them." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Skinner  says  it  amounts  to  nothing  more 
than  a  mere  matter  of  form,"  replied  Webster,  dejectedly. 


\ 


FOILED.  137 

"Judge  Winters  did  not  so  consider  it  wlien  he  said  that 
if  the  widow  demanded  this  award  against  her  husband's 
wishes,  as  expressed  in  his  will,  that  he  must  set  it  off  to 
her.  And  now,  uncle  Webster,  explain  to  me  if  her  sig- 
nature to  that  demand  means  anything  more  or  less  than  a 
desire  to  take  what  her  husband  did  not  wish  her  to  have  ?" 

"It  is  plain  to  me,  Arthur,  that  you  have  no  desire  to 
listen  to  reason  in  this  matter,  or  to  be  convinced  against 
your  desires,"  said  uncle  Webster,  rising;  "andasall  I 
could  say  would  not  change  your  determination,  I  might 
as  well  be  going."' 

"I  trust  I  may  always  be  open  to  conviction,  uncle," 
said  Arthur,  with  a  slight  tinge  of  sarcasm  ;  "  but  you 
have  given  me  no  reason  for  changing  my  views  except 
your  belief  in  Mrs.  Graham's  honesty,  while  questions  on 
two  most  important  subjects  you  have  declined  to  answer." 

"I  have  no  desire  to  farther  discuss  the  matter,"  said 
Webster,  sadly  ;  "it  would  do  no  good." 

"•Well,"  said  Edith,  when  her  uncle  had  gone,  "that 
fulfills  my  prophecy.  I  told  you  Mrs.  Graham  would  gain 
the  mastery  over  him,  and  keep  it." 

"Yes,"  replied  Arthur,  laughing,  "he  knows  no  will 
but  hers  now;  no  law  but  that  which  she  lays  down." 

"It  almost  made  me  smile  when  uncle  Webster  accused 
you  of  not  listening  to  reason,  while  he  declined  to  answer 
your  questions,  or  listen  to  anything  that  did  not  fit  his 
ideas.  But,  Arthur,  how  did  you  find  out  so  much  of  what 
transpired  in  court  ?  " 

"0,  Mr.  Blood  dropped  in  on  me  on  my  way  home  and  re- 
lated,  with  much  apparent    enjoyment,  the  incidents  as 


138  FOILED. 

they  occurred.  He  said  that  in  the  early  part  of  the  pro- 
ceedings Mrs.  Graham  sat  with  a  satisfied  look  on  her  face 
and  everything  seemed  to  be  to  her  liking  ;  but  when  the 
court  ordered  that  the  papers  be  handed  to  him  for  his 
inspection,  her  face  fluslied,  and  all  three  were  at  once 
thrown  into  a  violent  state  of  excitement.  It  seems  that 
by  some  technicality  in  the  law  she,  by  claiming  the 
widow's  award,  can  take  several  thousand  dollars  in  excess 
of  what  the  will  gives  her.  The  paper  by  which  she  de- 
manded this  award  was  one  of  those  handed  Mr.  Blood,  and 
as  he  leisurely  perused  them,  the  two  executors  watched 
him  with  much  anxiety.  He  then  turned  to  the  judge, 
and  in  his  objections  to  the  filing  of  this  paper  lashed  her 
without  mercy, — so  much  so,  that  at  its  close,,  although  he 
decided  against  us.  Judge  Winters  admitted  with  biting- 
sarcasm  that  no  woman  who  respected  the  wishes  of  her 
dead  husband  would  make  such  a  claim  ;  but  if  she  did, 
he  must  allow  it." 

"  I  should  think  she  would  have  felt  like  sinking  through 
the  floor, ^'  said  Edith,  as  she  realized  the  force  of  Judge 
Winters'  rebuke. 

'"^Instead  of  that,  Mr.  Blood  says  that  she  seemed  per- 
fectly indifferent  to  the  disgrace,  and  complacently  smiled 
when  Judge  Winters  acknowledged  that  he  must  allow  the 
claim." 

Webster  Graham  had  but  little  to  say  on  the  subject  of 
his  expedition  to  Editii's  when,  upon  his  return,  he  met 
Mrs.  Graham.  His  strange  silence  worried  her,  for  she 
began  to  doubt  him  and  his  constancy  as  an  advocate  of 
her  cause.  I  wonder,  slie  thought,  if  Edith  has  changed 
his  feelings  instead  of  he  changing  hers.     I  must  find  out. 


FOILED.  139 

■^^  Did  you  find  Edith  at  home  when  you  called?"  began 
Mrs.  Graham,  pleasantly. 

**^  Yes,  I  had  no  trouble  in  that  respect,"  answered  Web- 
ster, moodily. 

"You  speak  of  trouble — did  you  lose  your  way  ?"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  gayly. 

"No,"  answered  Webster,  shaking  his  head. 

"  Your  visit  was  not  very  pleasant,  I  judge." 

"In  some  ways  it  was,  and  some  not." 

"  Did  you  convince  Edith  of  her  error  ?" 

"  No,  not  exactly,"  replied  Webster,  loth  to  admit  his 
defeat.  "She  declared  she  knew  nothing  of  any  attempt 
to  break  the  will,  and  when  I  told  her  that  her  lawyer  had 
made  the  attempt,  she  was  very  positive  I  was  mistaken, 
and  on  Arthur^s  return  she  appealed  to  him,  and  of  course 
he  confirmed  her  in  her  belief  and  then  turned  the  conver- 
sation upon  you  and  your  actions. " 

"'And  what  did  he  say  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Graham,  uneasily. 

"He  denounced  them  as  attempts  to  rob  the  estate," 
replied  Webster,  sadly. 

"But  you  did  not  believe  him  ? "  inquired  Mrs.  Graham, 
anxiously. 

"Of  course  I  did  not.  I  tried  to  explain  the  matter  to 
him  and  settle  this  quarrel,  but  he  would  not  listen  to 
reason." 

"So  your  mission  of  peace  proved  a  failure  ?"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  smiling  at  his  childlike  faith  in  her  sincerity. 

"Well,  Just  about,"  reijlied  Webster,  despondingly, 
"though  I  trust  I  sowed  some  seed  that  may  in  time  bring 
them  to  a  proper  understanding." 


140  FOILED. 

"I  am  afraid  it  is  good  seed  on  very  stony  ground.  But 
I  have  a  better  recipe  than  that,  and  it  brings  forth  its 
fruit  much  sooner,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham  determinedly. 
"I  will  call  Arthur  to  an  accounting,  attend  to  the  business 
myself,  and  allow  them  no  part  of  the  estate  until  they 
submit.     Does  that  meet  with  your  approval,  Webster  ?" 

"It  is  a  severe  remedy,  but  it  may  be  for  the  best,"  said 
Webster,  doubtfully. 

"It  is  severe,  Webster,  but  not  too  much  so  for  those 
who  would  wilfully  waste  the  entire  estate  in  law  suits, 
besides  causing  us  an  endless  amount  of  trouble.'^ 

'•  No,  probably  not.  But  they  may  give  in  before  long  ; 
we  cannot  tell  how  soon,"  replied  Webster,  ready  to  defer 
the  unpleasant  business  until  some  future  time. 

"We  can  as  well  afford  to  wait  as  they,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  significantly,  as  she  arose  and  sought  an  Interview 
with  Bertha. 

"  I  want  you  to  aid  me.  Bertha,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  as 
she  entered  the  room  where  she  was  sitting  and  carefully 
closed  the  door.  "  I  must  crush  out  this  opposition  on  the 
part  of  Edith,  and  to  do  this  quickly  and  successfully  I 
must  have  earnest  and  intelligent  work  on  your  part.  She 
must  feel  all  the  pressure  we  can  bring  to  bear  upon  her, 
and  nothing  must  be  left  undone  to  force  her  to  abandon 
this  opposition.  In  a  few  days  the  court  will  be  ready 
to  hear  and  act  upon  the  report  of  the  appraisers,  and 
before  that  time  she  must  feel  the  full  power  of  my  con- 
demnation." 

"And  how  can  I  help  you  ?"  asked  Bertha,  doubtfully. 

"In  this  way,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  earnestly  :  "Make 


FOILED.  141 

it  your  business  to  see  as  many  of  Edith's  friends  as  possible ; 
take  the  necessary  time  and  use  your  skill  to  bring  your  con- 
verastion  to  bear  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Graham,  and  from 
that,  by  great  care,  approach  the  subject  of  the  settlement 
of  the  estate ;  this  will  be  the  natural  course  of  conversa- 
tion when  once  it  is  rightly  directed.  Then,  with  all  the 
skill  at  your  command,  see  to  it  that  Edith  is  represented 
as  using  her  every  effort  to  break  her  father's  will,  and 
with  insatiate  greed  to  obtain  the  whole  of  the  property, 
even  leaving  me  without  enough  for  my  support." 

"But  is  she  doing  this  ?"  said  Bertha,  doubtfully. 

"Certainly  she  is,  Bertha;  what  else  do  her  actions  show 
than  this  ?  " 

"Very  well,  Mrs.  Graham  ;  when  shall  I  begin  ?" 

"At  the  very  first  opportunity.  Bertha ;  and  when  you 
are  engaged  in  it  you  must  not  for  a  moment  forget  that  it 
is  an  undertaking  that  requires  great  tact  and  acuteness. 
Be  careful  not  to  be  too  urgent  in  your  denunciation  of 
Edith's  course,  but  rather  let  your  friends  keep  up  the  con- 
versation, while  you  make  your  concessions  with  just  enough 
reluctance  to  make  you  seem  to  be  an  unwilling  witness, 
the  greater  to  impress  them  with  the  truth  of  what  you  are 
forced  to  admit.  With  some  you  can  go  farther  than  with 
others.  These  you  will  readily  know  by  the  eagerness  with 
which  they  listen  to  and  rejoice  over  each  rich  and  racy  bit 
of  news.  Some  of  these  may  be  notorious  gossips,  and  where 
you  know  them  to  be  such  you  can  relax  your  vigilance  and 
care ;  but  when  you  meet  a  lady  that  does  not  readily 
become  interested,  and  whose  conversation  wanders  off  to 
other  subjects,  you  must  indeed  be  wary  and  act  with  great- 


142  FOILED, 

est  caution.  These  are  such  well-known  facts  as  to  make 
me  feel  that  I  almost  insult  your  judgment  by  mentioning 
them ;  but  I  am  so  anxious  that  you  shall  make  no  false 
move  that  I  cannot  refrain  from  impressing  you  with  their 
importance.  One  friend  now  will  make  us  many  more,  and 
they  make  others,  none  of  whom  will  ever  think  of  seeking 
Edith  to  know  why  she  has  done  what  she  has ;  and  with 
one  of  her  sensitive  disposition  an  affront  or  cool  reception 
is  quickly  magnified  into  an  army  of  enemies.  This  I  shall 
S])are  no  pains  to  bring  to  her  attention,  and  with  your 
work  well  done,  and  mine  accomplished,  she  will  be  forced 
to  submit,  as  she  should  have  done  from  the  first.  Eemem-, 
ber  what  I  have  said,  and  may  success  crown  your  efforts. 
For  myself,  I  have  decided  upon  a  bold  move.  To-mor- 
row I  shall  attend  the  meeting  of  the  church  sewing 
society.  I  know  I  shall  incur  the  risk  of  being  thought 
heartless,  but  much  valuable  time  can  be  saved  by  meeting 
so  many  of  my  chosen  friends  and  there  sowing  the  seed 
for  Edith's  harvest  of  misery.  Among  them  I  can  find 
many  whom  I  can  rely  upon  in  any  emergency,  and  I  have 
no  fears  of  how  my  appearance  so  soon  after  Mr.  Graham's 
death  will  be  received  by  them  ;  while  with  others,  I  must 
run  the  risk  of  their  opinions,  as  the  opportunity  must  not 
be  lost.'' 


CHAPTER  X. 

THERE    IS    NO    NEUTRAL    GROUND. 

True  to  her  resolve,  the  next  day  found  Mrs.  Graham  at 
the  appointed  place,  and  upon  entering  she  eagerly  sought 
for  sonie  friendly  recognition  that  would  relieve  her  doubts  ; 
and  it  was  with  pleasure  that  her  eyes  alighted  upon  a  bevy 
of  ladies  all  of  whom  she  numbered  among  her  trusted 
friends,  and  making  her  way  toward  them,  she  was  at  once 
relieved  by  their  warm-hearted  and  sympathetic  reception. 

''  I  only  came  for  a  moment's  stay,"  began  Mrs.  Graham, 
in  response  to  the  numerous  requests  to  lay  aside  her 
wrappings;  "I  felt  so  lonesome  I  could  not  stay  away. '^ 
And  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she  continued  :  "I  thought 
you  would  excuse  the  seeming  impropriety  if  you  knew  how 
lonesome  my  home  seems  to  me  now," 

"I  see  no  impropriety  in  your  coming,"  replied  Mrs. 
Adell.  ''For  my  part,  I  was  born  too  independent  of  the 
opinion  of  strangei-e  to  care  what  they  thought,  and  can 
trust  my  friends  to  be  charitable." 

"  I  do  not  believe  in  carrying  anything  to  excess,"  inter- 
posed Mrs.  Gray,  quietly,  "and  I  think  the  mourners  of 
a  husband  or  father  are  often  made  uncomfortable  by  the 
knowledge  that  they  are  subjects  for  remark  if  they  do  jiot 

143 


141  FOILED, 

cry  enough,  or  wear  deep  enough  mourning,  or  lay  it  aside 
too  soon,  or  leave  it  on  too  long,  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter.  For  my  part,  I  would  rather  judge  of  grief  by  the 
evidence  of  past  kindnesses  to  the  dead  than  by  any 
compliance  to  rigid  rules  of  custom,  and  I  think  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham knows  all  of  us  well  enough  to  feel  at  ease  in  regard  to 
her  appearance  here." 

"^So  say  we  all  of  us,"  said  sprightly  Mrs.  Brandon. 
"We  are  well  pleased,  Mrs.  Graham,  to  have  you  numbered 
among  us  once  more." 

"  You  are  all  very  kind,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  brushing 
back  the  tears,  "  and  I  had  no  fears  of  your  friendship  be- 
ing lost  to  me  by  reason  of  my  coming  ;  but  all  are  not  so 
considerate  of  the  feelings  of  those  in  deep  affliction." 

"  You  must  feel  the  loss  of  Mr.  Graham  very  much," 
said  sympathetic  Mrs,  Rivers;  "he  was  a  man  among  a 
thousand,  and  your  home  all  the  more  desolate  for  that 
reason." 

"  You  will  not  think  of  staying  in  that  large  house  all 
alone,  will  you  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Adell,  trying  to  change  the 
conversation  to  more  pleasing  topics. 

"  I  am  in  doubt  just  what  to  do.  If  left  to  choose,  I 
might  more  easily  determine  ;  but  with  all  this  trouble  com- 
ing on  me  at  once,  I  am  sadly  in  need  of  advice.  I  thought 
when  Mr.  Graham  died  that  my  cup  was  full  to  overflow- 
ing, but  it  never  rains  but  it  pours,  and  I  find  it  so  in  my 
case. " 

"That  is  almost  always  the  case,"  said  Mrs.  Eivers,  "  one 
misfortune  generally  follows  another,  and  I  do  not  know  of 
a  more  desolate  condition  than  to  be  left  alone  to  battle 
against  the  wiles  of  designing  lawyers  and  faithless  friends." 


FOILED.  145 

*'  But  it  is  still  worse  to  have  a  large  estate  to  manage 
and  no  one  to  turn  to  for  advice  and  aid/'  said  Mrs.  Adell, 
wlio  now  saw  there  was  no  use  in  trying  to  turn  the  course 
of  conversation  in  any  other  direction. 

"  And  worse  still,  if  disagreements  arise  among  the  per- 
sons interested/'  replied  Mrs.  Brandon. 

"  That  is  the  worst  of  all,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  sadly  ;  '*  I 
can  stand  all  but  that." 

"I  pity  you  from  the  depths  of  my  heart  if  you  have  met 
with  that  experience,"  said  Mrs.  Gray,  earnestly.  "  I  have 
heard  of  such  cases  and  had  knowledge  of  one  ;  and  while 
the  estate  was  almost  wrecked,  it  was  of  but  little  moment 
as  compared  to  the  hearts  that  were  made  to  ache.  I  trust, 
Mrs.  Graham,  that  you  may  never  have  that  to  go  through 
with." 

"  Is  it  Edith  that  is  causing  you  trouble  ?  "  inquired  Mrs. 
Adell,  who  now  became  an  interested  listener. 

^'I  can  hardly  say,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  using  her 
deep-bordered  handkerchief  with  good  effect.  ''  I  am  more 
inclined  to  think  the  fault  lies  with  her  lawyer,  who  has> 
no  doubt,  advised  her  against  her  best  interests." 

*'  If  there  is  a  lawyer  mixed  up  in  the  affair  you  can  just 
depend  upon  it  there  is  trouble  ahead,"  interposed  Mrs- 
Brandon, 

''  It  is  the  only  way  I  have  to  account  for  her  queer  ac- 
tions," replied  Mrs.  Graham. 

"  I  would  advise  you  to  go  to  Edith  and  give  her  a  good 
motherly  talk  ;  show  her  where  this  lawyer  is  leading  her^ 
and  from  what  I  know  of  her,  she  has  the  good  judgment 
to  take  it  kindly  and  act  wisely,"  said  Mrs.  Gray,  with  some 
little  earnestness. 


146  FOILED. 

"  I  have  already  done  this,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  who  now- 
found  the  conversation  to  her  liking,  "  and  the  strangest 
part  of  it  all  is  that  she  positively  denied  making  any  efEort 
or  having  any  desire  to  break  her  father's  will.  I  then  per- 
suaded her  uncle  to  visit  her  and  have  her  alter  her  course, 
but  to  no  purpose  ;  she  denied  the  whole  matter,  and  he  left 
her  only  after  being  convinced  that  his  efforts  had  utterly 
_f  ailed." 

■"  And  is  Edith  really  trying  to  break  the  will  ?"  inquired 
Mrs.  Adell. 

"  Well,  I  want  it  kept  as  secret  as  possible,  to  avoid 
scandal,  but  that  is  what  she  has  attempted  to  do,"  replied 
Mrs.  Graham,  confidingly. 

■  ^  Is  she  likely  to  succeed  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Gray. 

'^'  That  is  in  doubt — grave  doubt,  at  the  best,"  replied 
Mrs.    Graham,  sadly.      "But  even  if  she  should  fail,  it 
'^  would  cost  the  estate  a  large  amount  for  defense. " 
■^"It  is  unfortunate,"  said  Mrs.  Gray,  thoughtfully. 
"''  I  always  considered  Mr.  Graham  a  just  and  kind  father, 
•and  one  who  would  leave  his  daughter  all  that  she  could 
rightfully  expect,"  said  Mrs.  Brandon, 

"  He  was,"  said  Mrs.  Graham  ;  ''and  why  Edith  should 
seek  to  take  from  me  all  that  the  will  gives  me  I  cannot 
^inderstand. " 

'*  And  has  she  gone  that  far?"  inquired  Mrs.  Gray,  in 
astonishment. 

"  No,  not  quite,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  hesitatingly  ; 
■■'■  but  if  she  should  succeed,  I  would  be 'sadly  reduced  in 
■circumstances.  I  would  not  complain  if  that  were  all, 
^but  she  is  trying  to  get  what  Mr.  Graham  left  to  his  sister 


FOILED.  147 

and  her  children,  which  would  be  of  great  assistance  to  her 
in  their  education.  Now  they  are  liable  to  lose  it  all,  and 
thus  be  kept  from  acquiring  the  knowledge  that  would  help 
them  to  become  useful  men  and  women." 

'^  Edith  must  have  changed  greatly  since  I  knew  her/' 
said  Mrs.  Gray. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  sadly,  '^either  the  need 
of  money,  or  a  desire  to  live  more  elegantly,  has  changed 
her  wonderfully  in  the  last  few  months." 

"  Well,  her  money  will  do  her  no  good  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned,"  said  Mrs.  Adell,  *'for  I  shall  quietly  ignore 
her." 

"If  she  persists  in  this  course  I  shall  be  forced  to  do  the 
same,  though  much  against  my  wishes,"  said  Mrs.  Gray, 
quietly, 

"  I  never  liked  Edith  very  enthusiastically,"  said  Mrs. 
Brandon,  *'  so  she  will  lose  but  little  in  my  estimation." 

"  I  have  delayed  too  long,  and  must  now  be  going,"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  hastily ;  "but  I  desire  to  express  my  thanks 
for  the  many  kindnesses  I  have  received  at  your  hands,  and 
shall  treasure  them  in  my  memory  when  desolate  and  alone 
in  my  home." 

"I  shall  call  on  you  soon,"  said  Mrs.  Adell,  as  she  left 
her  at  the  door. 

"So  Stewart  Graham's  widow  is  out  again,"  said  Mrs. 
Foreman,  as  she  joined  the  circle  of  ladies. 

"  Yes,  and  an  unhappy  woman  she  is,"  continued  Mrs. 
Gray  ;  "  her  troubles  accumulate  like  the  drifting  snow." 

"What  new  trouble  besets  her  now?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Foreman. 


148  FOILED. 

"  0,  the  daughter  is  turniug  heaven  and  earth  to  get  all 
the  property,"  replied  Mrs.  Brandon,  in  an  off-hand  man- 
ner ;  ^'  its  the  same  old  story." 

"What  is  that  you  say  ?"  said  several  ladies,  turning  at 
once  toward  Mrs.  Brandon. 

"  I  was  just  telling  Mrs.  Foreman  that  the  same  old  story 
was  being  lived  over  again :  father  dies, — widow  and  chil- 
dren fight  over  the  property  until  the  lawyers  get  it  all, — 
widow  and  children  mourn  their  foolishness  while  the 
gaunt  wolf  shadows  the  door." 

"  Well,  you  have  an  entertaining  way  of  telling  stern 
facts,"  said  Mrs.  Gray,  forced  to  laugh  in  spite  of  herself. 

"Did  Mrs.  Graham  tell  you  that?"  said  one  of  the 
ladies,  gathering  up  her  work  and  taking  a  seat  close  by 
Mrs.  Brandon. 

"  Well,  not  in  just  those 'words,"  replied  Mrs.  Brandon, 
laughing,  "  but  that  is  what  it  amounts  to,  Mrs.  Walling- 
ford." 

"It  is  strange,"  replied  that  lady,  thoughtfully  ;  "for  I 
saw  Edith  but  a  few  days  ago  and  she  said  nothing  to  me 
of  this  matter." 

"And  good  reason  why  she  did  not ;  she  is  the  one  that 
is  causing  all  the  trouble,"  continued  Mrs.  Adell. 

"Have  you  heard  what  Edith  has  to  say?"  inquired 
Mrs.  Wallingford. 

"No,  I  have  not ;  but  no  one  here  would  dare  question 
Mrs.  Graham's  veracity,  especially  as  she  told  what  she  did 
very  reluctantly." 

"Prejudice,"  continued  Mrs.  Wallingford,  "sometimes 
blinds  the  judgment,  so  that  the  question  of  veracity  is  not 


FOILED.  149 

a  proper  test.  I  have  known  Edith  Graham  for  years,  and 
cannot  readily  believe  this  of  her.  There  is  not  a  lady 
here  but  will  bear  testimony  that  she  is  a  daughter  of  whom 
her  father  could  well  be  proud, — mild  and  unassuming,  as 
ladylike  in  every  particular  as  the  most  critical  could  de- 
mand, and  without  an  enemy  in  the  world,  so  far  as  I 
know." 

''0,  you  take  the  matter  altogether  too  seriously,"  inter- 
posed Mrs.  Adell. 

"  But  is  it  not  a  serious  matter  to  make  these  charges 
against  any  young  woman  without  first  being  sure  they  are 
well  founded  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Wallingford. 

"  How  would  you  assure  yourself  that  they  were  true  ?" 
confidently  inquired  Mrs.  Brandon. 

"  By  hearing  both  sides,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford, 
quietly. 

*'  Ha,  ha  !  And  if  you  found  that  it  was  stoutly  denied, 
what  then  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Brandon,  with  a  knowing  look 
at  the  other  ladies. 

"  I  should  say  that  at  least  it  was  an  open  question,  and 
wait  for  further  proof  before  I  would  condemn  her,"  said 
Mrs.  Wallingford,  earnestly. 

Mrs.  Gray  had  been  an  interested  listener  to  whom 
the  last  words  of  Mrs.  Wallingford  carried  quick  convic- 
tion. 

"I  am  surprised  when  I  think  that  I  allowed  my  convic- 
tions to  so  nearly  overcome  my  better  judgment,"  said  Mrs. 
Gray.  "  What  Mrs.  Wallingford  has  just  said  is  only  too 
true ;  no  one  should  convict  another  without  first  giving 
them  a  chance  to  defend  themselves." 


150  FOILED. 

This  was  too  sentimental  for  Mrs.  Brandon,  and  she 
with  several  of  the  other  ladies  formed  a  new  circle  of  con- 
versation and  were  now  eagerly  discussing  this  latest  bit  of 
scandal. 

"I  have  done  good  service  to-day/' said  Mrs.  Graham, 
entering  the  room  where  Bertha  was  sitting.  *'  I  went  to 
the  society  and  placed  the  leaven  where  it  will  soon  leaven 
the  whole  lumi).  And  now,  Bertha,  you  must  tell  me 
what  has  been  your  success." 

"■  I  am  a,fraid  I  am  not  a  good  advocate,"  answered  B  r- 
tha,  doubtfully  ;  *'  I  did  not  meet  with  flattering  success." 

Mrs.  Graham's  brow  contracted  into  a  frown  of  displeas- 
ure as  Bertha  continued  : 

"  I  saw  two  or  three  of  Edith's  friends,  and  one  in  par- 
ticular, Miss  Wallingford,  would  not  listen  to  a  word 
against  Edith." 

"  Did  she  know  anything  of  what  had  transpired  in 
court  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  anxiously. 

"■  She  would  not  talk  of  the  subject  for  any  length  of 
time,"  replied  Bertha,  "and  I  could  not  form  an  opinion 
of  how  much  she  did  or  did  not  know." 

"  Did  she  say  anything  against  me  ?  " 

"  Not  a  word,"  quickly  answered  Bertha. 

"  Then  she  has  not  heard,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  posi- 
tively ;  "for  in  a  case  like  this  there  is  no  neutral  ground. 
When  she  has  had  time  to  think  over  what  you  have  told 
her  she  will  form  an  opinion,  and  if  adverse  to  Edith  it 
will  soon  show  itself,  and  if  she  did  not  express  an  opinion 
on  the  matter  you  can  rest  assured  that  she  is  not  committed 
to  Edith's  cause.     But  you  may  leave  her  to  me  and  I  will 


FOILED.  151 

bring  her  around  in  good  time.  Her  mother  was  at  the 
sewing  society  and  will  no  doubt  hear  of  it,  and  they  wilt 
talk  it  over,  and  I  will  call  and  see  them  in  a  few  days. 
Whom  did  you  see  beside  her  ?" 

"  I  called  on  Mrs.  Bartley  and  had  quite  a  long  talk  with 
her.  She  seemed  to  be  quite  interested  in  the  turn  affairs 
had  taken,  but  would  say  nothing  against  Edith.  ^' 

^'  0,  that  is  not  necessary,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,, 
quickly.  "She  will  do  us  much  good,  and  among  a  class 
of  persons  whom  we  would  find  it  hard  to  reach.  She  is 
very  conservative  in  all  she  says,  but  for  that  very  reason, 
what  she  does  say  has  great  weight  with  those  she  talks  to. 
The  fact  that  you  interested  her  in  the  subject  at  all  is 
quite  a  victory." 

And  thus  Mrs.  Graham,  like  an  experienced  politician, 
measured  her  forces,  and  knew  at  the  end  of  Bertha's 
recital  of  her  experiences  just  where  to  place  her  hand 
upon  those  she  could  trust  to  still  farther  serve  her  ends. 

"When  Bertha  finished  her  report,  Mrs.  Graham  said, 
with  a  smile  of  approval  '^  Your  work  was  not  so  unprof- 
itable as  you  imagined.  Hereafter  when  yoa  are  out  upon 
this  mission  I  shall  feel  more  at  ease.  And  now  I  must 
see  Edith's  aunt  Hattie  and  see  that  she  understands  Edith's 
actions,  while  you  continue  your  work  here  and  there  as 
opportunity  offers." 

Mrs.  Graham  lost  no  time,  and  the  next  day  found  her 
comfortably  seated  in  aunt  Hattie's  home,  eagerly  recount- 
ing the  incidents  attendant  upon  her  first  appearance  in 
court. 

"  I  am  almost  heart-broken,"  continued  Mrs.  Graham,, 


152  FOILED. 

amid  her  tears.  "  My  dear  husband's  death  crushed  me  to 
the  earth,  and  I  was  nearly  wild  with  sorrow  ;  but  had  I 
then  known  what  I  should  be  forced  to  suffer,  I  would 
willingly  have  been  buried  by  his  side.  0,  it  is  more  than 
I  can  bear  !"  and  Mrs.  Graham  gave  way  to  a  paroxysm  of 
wild  and  uncontrollable  grief. 

Aunt  Hattie  sat  with  a  sad  and  sympathizing  look  upon 
her  face,  waiting  until  the  force  of  Mrs.  Graham's  grief 
had  somewhat  abated,  when  she  inquired  . 

"  Has  Edith  really  hired  a  lawyer  ?" 

*^Yes — she — has,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  between  her 
sobs. 

"  I  cannot  understand  it,"  said  aunt  Hattie,  thought- 
fully ;  'Mt  seems  so  unlike  her  to  do  that.  Are  you  sure 
it  is  not  Arthur  that  has  done  this  without  her  knowl- 
edge ?" 

"  No,  she  knows  all  about  it,  and  is  very  defiant  in  her 
course." 

"  I  shall  go  and  see  her,  and  as  my  dead  sister's  only 
child,  shall  give  her  some  much  needed  advice,"  said  aunt 
Hattie,  positively. 

"You  will  find  your  time  is  wasted,  and  will  be  fortu- 
nate if  in  her  resentment  she  does  not  insult  you,"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  sadly. 

"0,  you  must  not  speak  so  of  Edith!"  replied  aunt 
Hattie,  deprecatingly.  "She  means  well  enough,  but  is 
no  doubt  laboring  under  a  mistaken  idea  that  you  desire  to 
injure  her.  You  know  that  you  have  never  gotten  along 
well  together,  and  it  is  but  natural  that  she  should  take 
measures  to  protect  herself  if  she  has  been  deluded  into 


FOILED.  153 

thinking  that  you  intend  to  harm  her ;  but  when  I  point 
out  these  facts  to  her,  she  will  no  doubt  see  the  matter  in 
another  light.  I  do  not  approve  of  her  hiring  a  lawyer  un- 
der any  circumstances,  for  that  always  means  fight." 

"It  would  take  a  great  load  off  my  mind  if  you  were  to 
see  her  and  convince  her  that  she  is  in  the  wrong,  but  I 
have  no  hope  that  you  can  succeed,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
despondingly. 

"'I  think  I  can,"  replied  aunt  Hattie,  confidently. 

"1  would  think  so,  too,  if  I  had  not  tried  and  failed," 
was  Mrs.  Graham's  reassuring  answer. 

"But  I  may  have  more  influence  with  her,"  persisted 
aunt  Hattie. 

' '  You  have,  no  doubt ,  but  after  I  failed  so  utterly  I  had 
uncle  Webster  visit  her  and  tell  her  that  she  did  wrong  in  try- 
ing to  break  the  will,  that  her  father  was  a  just  man  and  his 
will  dealt  justly  with  her,  but  it  had  no  effect  upon  her," 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  despondingly,  "  and  she  almost  insulted 
him  before  he  gave  up  his  efforts  to  reclaim  her." 

"Has  she  attempted  to  break  the  will?"  asked  aunt 
Hattie,  in  astonishment. 

"  Certainly,  that  is  just  what  she  hired  that  lawyer  for  ; 
what  use  could  he  be  to  her  otherwise  ?  " 

"If  Edith  has  done  that,"  said  aunt  Hattie,  slowly,  "I 
shall  not  go  near  her  ;  and  while  I  must  always  love  her  as 
the  only  child  of  my  dead  sister,  I  shall  have  as  little  to  do 
with  her  as  possible." 

"  It  was  not  my  intention  to  worry  you  with  my  burdens, 
and  I  had  no  intention  of  saying  as  much  as  I  have  ;  but 
you  must  know  that  after  I  have  had  these  things  worrying 


154  FOILED. 

me  so  long,  without  a  friend  to  go  to,  it  is  a  great  relief  to 
find  some  one  upon  whom  I  cun  dejDend.  And  I  now  see 
that  what  I  have  told  you  is  so  unaccountably  strange  as  to 
almost  make  you  doubt  its  truth,  and  I  would  suggest  tliat 
you  see  my  brother  Webster  and  have  him  confirm  it  before 
you  condemn  Edith,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  sadly,  as  she  arose 
to  take  her  leave. 

Aunt  Hattie  extended  her  hand,  while  the  sympathetic 
tears  found  tlieir  way  to  her  eyes,  as  she  said  : 

"Your  deep  affliction  finds  a  too  ready  sympathy  in  my 
heart  for  me  to  doubt  you  ;  and  while  in  justice  to  Edith  I 
should  listen  to  what  Webster  has  to  say,  I  do  not  need 
him  to  convince  me  that  Edith  has  disgraced  her  father's 
name  and  greatly  wronged  you. " 

''While  I  am  in  the  mood,"  thought  Mrs.  Graham,  as 
she  entered  her  carriage,  "I  had  better  call  on  Miss  Ashton 
and  set  her  against  Edith.  Here  I  will  need  all  my  powers 
of  persuasion.  She  is  Edith's  closest  friend  and  I  shall 
have  no  easy  task  ;  but  if  I  succeed,  the  greater  will  be  my 
victory." 

"The  servant  must  have  made  a  mistake,  Mrs.  Graham,'' 
began  Miss  Ashton  as  she  entered  the  parlor  where  Mrs. 
Graham  was  sitting.  "  I  knew  you  called  to  see  mamma, 
but  as  the  servant  was  positive  you  asked  for  myself  I 
thought  I  would  come,  more  especially  as  mamma  is  not  at 
home." 

"I  desired  to  see  you  as  well  as  your  mother,"  replied 
Mrs.  Graham,  greatly  pleased  to  find  that  their  conversation 
would  not  be  interrupted,  and  smiling  pleasantly,  she  con- 
tinued :    "And  while  I  appreciate  her  society,  and  am  very 


FOILED.  155 

sorry  she  is  not  at  home,  I  dare  say  I  shall  hardly  miss 
her,  while  I  have  you  as  my  entertainer." 

"If  we  had  not  been  neighbors  for  so  many  years,  I 
should  consider  that  as  idle  flattery,"  replied  Miss  Ashton, 
piquantly. 

"With  all  my  sorrow,  I  can  ill  afford  to  spend  time  in 
flattery,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  earnestly. 

"That  reminds  me  that  I  have  heard  you  were  meeting 
with  unexpected  difficulties  in  regard  to  the  estate,"  said 
Miss  Ashton. 

"Yes,  unexpected  indeed,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a 
sigh  ;  "but  how  did  you  hoar  of  it  ?" 

"I  met  Mrs.  Adell  at  the  party  last  evening,  and  she 
told  me  just  enough  to  make  me  interested,  and  then  drop- 
ped the  subject ;  but  I  could  hardly  believe  all  that  she  said 
about  Edith." 

"It  seems  too  strange  to  be  true,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
thoughtfully.  "But  I  am  surprised  that  it  has  become 
known  so  soon." 

"  From  what  I  gathered  from  Mrs.  Adell,"  replied  Miss 
Ashton,  "I  understood  that  it  was  a  well-known  fact,  and 
I  intended  to  drop  in  on  Edith  and  find  out  about  it." 

"If  you  would  see  Edith,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  earnestly, 
"  and  urge  her  to  stop  trying  to  break  her  father's  will,  you 
would  confer  a  lasting  obligation  on  me  and  save  the  dis- 
grace of  so  much  scandal." 

"  I  will  willingly  do  so  ;  for,  as  her  bridesmaid,  I  am 
privileged  to  participate  in  family  matters,  am  I  not  ? " 
said  Miss  Ashton,  laughing. 

"I  think  she  would  take  it  kindly  of  you,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  quietly. 


156  FOILED. 

"Well,  if  I  am  to  be  your  messenger  of  peace  you  must 
give  me  full  instructions.  First,  how  did  the  trouble 
begin  ?  "  queried  Miss  Ashton,  assuming  a  look  of  serious 
wisdom. 

"  That  I  can  hardly  tell/'  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  sadly. 
"  Its  first  beginning  dates  back  many  years.  When  I  first 
knew  Edith  she  was  a  wild,  untutored  child,  who  would 
bear  no  restraint,  and  displayed  only  enmity  toward  those 
who  desired  to  lead  her  into  different  ways.  I  made  it  my 
life's  chief  duty  to  study  her  so  thoroughly  that  I  could 
understand  her  motives  and  thereby  the  more  readily  cause 
her  to  change  her  ways." 

"  But  I  never  saw  any  disposition  of  this  kind  in  Edith," 
said  Miss  Ashton,  somewhat  surprised  by  Mrs.  Graham's 
statements. 

"No,  I  dare  say  you  did  not,"  replied  Mrs,  Graham, 
quickly;  "you  were  both  young  and  they  more  readily 
escaped  your  attention  then  than  they  would  now.  Beside 
this,  she  improved  greatly  under  my  management,  so  that 
I  had  great  hopes  of  all  these  bad  traits  entirely  disappear- 
ing ;  but  one  very  grave  fault  resisted  all  my  efforts  :  she 
retained  her  disposition  to  speak  ill  of  even  her  best  friends, 
which  often  caused  me  much  concern  and  many  times 
placed  me  in  a  very  disagreeable  position  because  of  my 
efforts  to  shield  her  from  the  results  of  her  unwise  course. 
Now,  I  tell  you  this  with  much  reluctance,  and  only  for  the 
purpose  of  more  fully  making  you  understand  the  exact 
condition  of  affairs  ;  for  if  you  do  not  succeed  I  must  give  up 
in  despair,  as  you  are  now  the  only  one  that  I  have  any  hope 
of  being  able  to  influence  her  to  turn  back  from  the  course 
she  is  pursuing." 


FOILED.  157 

"I  shall  try  to  succeed  with  her,  and  believe  I  cnn," 
replied  Miss  Ashton,  earnestly. 

^'This  one  trait,  as  I  have  just  said,"  continued  Mrs. 
Graham,  "  has  caused  me  many  pangs  of  remorse,  and  as  I 
do  not  vi^ish  to  bring  others  into  the  discussion,  I  will  con- 
tent myself  with  using  your  case  as  an  example,  for  I  know 
that  I  can  trust  you  to  overlook  it  and  forgive  her.  At  one 
time  I  feared  that  you  might  hear  of  some  remarks  she 
made  against  you,  and  your  friendship  be  lost  to  her  ;  but 
I  managed  to  hush  the  matter  up  so  completely  that  you 
never  heard  of  it." 

"  But  what  reason  has  Edith  to  say  anything  against 
me,  Mrs.  Graham  ? "  inquired  Miss  Ashton,  in  great  sur- 
prise. ^'I  have  always  been  on  most  friendly  terms  with 
her,  and  can  hardly  believe  your  charges  against  her. " 

"That  is  the  strangest  part  of  her  actions,  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  sadly.  But  you  must  not  take  this  to  heart,  for 
you  remember  that  I  am  only  using  your  case  as  an  illustra- 
tion, to  make  you  more  fully  understand  the  cause  of  this 
trouble." 

*' But  what  did  she  say?"  inquired  Miss  Ashton,  anx- 
iously, "  you  have  not  told  me  yet," 

"  I  think  I  had  better  let  the  matter  drop,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  doubtfully.  "  What  I  tell  you  seems  to  make  you 
feel  antagonistic  to  Edith  instead  of  more  desirous  of  re- 
claiming her.     This  is  too  great  a  risk  for  me  to  incur." 

"You  need  have  no  fear  of  that,"  replied  Miss  Ashton, 
flushing  slightly;  "  if  you  are  my  friend  you  will  trust  me." 

"  I  am  so  anxious  to  have  this  last  resort  prove  success- 
ful that  I  am  possibly  a  little  too  cautious,"  replied  Mrs. 


158  FOILED. 

Graham,  sweetly  ;  "  but  as  you  have  such  good  judgment, 
I  shall  feel  safe  in  telling  you  all  that  occurred.  It  was,  if 
I  remember  rightly,  but  a  short  time  before  her  marriage, 
that  she  was  speaking  of  you  to  Miss  Wallingford,  who  was 
visiting  her,  that  in  the  course  of  her  conversation  she 
spoke  of  the  arrangements  by  which  you  had  been  decided 
upon  to  act  as  her  bridesmaid,  and  that  if  you  had  not 
already  been  spoken  to  about  it  she  would  not  consent 
to  your  acting,  for  the  reason  that  she  had  but  recently 
found  out  some  matters  of  indiscretion  that  reflected  upon 
you  to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  her  certain  that  your 
character  might  place  her  in  an  embarrassing  position  be- 
cause of  your  acting  as  her  best  friend  at  her  marriage.  I 
was  sitting  in  a  remote  part  of  the  room  and  they  were 
holding  their  conversation  in  a  very  confidential  tone,  so 
that  most  of  what  they  said  I  did  not  hear  ,  but  as  she  be- 
came more  interested  in  her  subject  her  words  became  more 
easily  heard,  and  when  I  heard  her  say  that  your  appearance 
at  parties  was  often  almost  indecent  because  of  powder  and 
paint  and  your  loAv-necked  dresses,  I  thought  it  was  time  to 
interfere,  and  did  so  possibly  in  too  hasty  a  manner,  for  I 
admit  that  I  felt  quite  indignant  that  she  should  so  far  for- 
get your  friendship  as  to  speak  of  you  in  this  manner,  and 
especially  to  so  much  of  a  gossip  as  I  believe  Miss  Walling- 
ford to  be.  After  correcting  Edith,  I  followed  Miss  Wal- 
lingford to  the  door,  and  begged  her  for  the  sake  of  our 
family  to  never  repeat  what  Edith  had  told  her  ;  and  while 
I  was  for  some  time  in  constant  fear  that  she  might  not 
accede  to  my  request,  I  am  now  inclined  to  believe  that  she 
will  never  mention  it,  and  that  you  have  no  cause  for  alarm; 


FOILED.  ^  159 

but  you  can  readily  understand  my  position  when  you  know 
that  this  was  only  one  of  many  just  such  occurrences.  When 
I  returned  to  the  room  where  Edith  was  sitting,  I  found 
that  my  words  had  made  her  my  lasting  enemy,  and  for 
this  one  act  alone  she  has  never  forgiven  me.  Now  she  sees 
a  chance  to  be  revenged,  and  will  no  doubt  improve  it,  even 
though  in  ruinmg  me  she  should  -waste  the  whole  estate. 
To  prevent  her  from  pursuing  this  unwise  course,  I  now 
have  only  one  hope,  and  that  is,  that  you  will  wisely  and 
discreetly  present  the  case  to  her  so  that  she  will  abandon 
her  present  purpose." 

Stunned  and  completely  overcome  by  Mrs.  Graham's 
revelations.  Miss  Ashton  sat  more  like  a  statue  than  the 
young  and  vivacious  woman  that  she  was  when  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham first  began  her  story  ;  and  when  it  was  finished,  she 
could  not  reply, —  her  injured  feelings  and  resentment 
toward  Edith  as  the  cause  of  her  misery  did  not  admit  of 
adequate  expression  in  words. 

Mrs.  Graham  fully  realized  that  this  case  would  test  her 
powers  of  persuasion  more  thoroughly  than  they  had  ever 
been,  and  came  nearer  to  dc^ubting  her  ability  to  succeed  than 
ever  before  ;  and  when  she  found  her  way  so  readily  opened 
by  Miss  Ashton's  freedom  in  speaking  of  these  matters,  she 
rejoiced  that  her  labors  had  been  made  that  much  easier. 
When  she  had  finished  her  story,  she  awaited  the  exhibition 
of  its  effect,  while  she  leaned  back  in  her  chair  and  rapidly 
canvassed  the  conversation  to  detect  any  errors  that  might 
unwittingly  have  crept  in,  and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of 
exultation  that  she  found  it  without  a  flaw.  As  Miss  Ash- 
ton made  no  sign  of  replying,  Mrs.  Graham  at  last  broke 


160  FOILED. 

the  silence  by  inquiring  :  "  When  will  you  find  it  conven- 
ient to  see  Edith,  Miss  Ashton,  and  make  the  trial  ?" 

With  an  evident  effort,  Miss  Ashton  aroused  herself 
enough  to  say  :  "  I  shall  have  nothing  more  to  do  with 
her,  and  never  wish  to  see  her  again. " 

"And  why?"  asked  Mrs.  Graham,  with  well-feigned 
astonishment. 

"What  you  have  told  me  is  a  sufficient  reason,"  replied 
Miss  Ashton,  now  pale  and  trembling. 

"  Have  I  then  blasted  my  only  hope  ?"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
despairingly.     "  0,  why  did  I  tell  you  all  !" 

Mrs.  Graham's  well-feigned  misery  touched  a  sympathetic 
chord  in  Miss  Ashton's  heart,  and  she  replied  : 

"  I  feel  that  I  am  under  great  obligation  to  you  for  what 
you  have  told  me,  Mrs.  Graham,  but  I  must  decline  to  give 
you  my  aid  in  this  matter ;  my  feelings  toward  her  have 
changed,  and  I  could  now  do  you  no  good. " 

"  I  cannot  urge  you  against  your  wishes,"  said  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, sadly,  as  she  arose  to  take  her  leave,  "  but  it  is  a  great 
disappointment  to  me." 

"  I  regret  it  as  much  as  any  one,  and  desire  to  assure 
you  of  my  lasting  friendship,  but  this  I  cannot  do,"  said 
Miss  Ashton,  earnestly,  as  she  followed  Mrs.  Graham  to  the 
door. 

"  I  do  not  doubt  your  friendship  in  the  least,"  replied 
Mrs.  Graham,  impressively,  "  but  it  was  my  last  hope. 
Please  remember  me  to  your  mother,  and  tell  her  I  was 
greatly  disappointed  to  have  found  her  not  at  home,"  and 
Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  smile  of  victory,  made  her  way  to  her 
carriage. 


FOILED,  161 

"Well,  Bertha,"  began  Mrs.  Graham,  in  great  glee,  as 

she  entered  the  house,  "  I  have  been  more  successful  in  my 

efforts  to-day  than  I  had  any  hopes  of.     I  have  set  both 

aunt  Hattie  and  Miss  Ashton  against  Edith,  and  the  best 

of  it  is,  they  took  all  I  had  to  say  against  her  in  the  most 

kindly  manner,  and  gave  me  assurances  of  their  lasting 

friendship. " 

*' And  I  had  only  to  confirm  rumors  already  brought  to 

the  notice  of  those  I  called  on,"  said  Bertha,  ''and  I  found 

this  much  more  easy  than  beginning  the  conversation  on 

the  subject." 

"  I  think  we  need  have  no  fears  now,  Bertha,  and  Edith 

must  be  informed  of  this  condition  of  affairs.     I  shall  write 

her  a  letter,  giving  her  an  intimation  of  what  is  in  store  for 

her,  and  then  she  will  complete  the  work  by  seeking  to  find 

if  it  is  true.     When  she  does  find  it,  she  will  be  crushed  by 

the  weight  of  condemnation  that  will  close  about  her,  and 

leave  me  free  to  carry  out  my  own  sweet  will,"  and  Mrs. 

Graham  snapped  her  fingers  in  anticipation  of  the  victory 

already  assured. 
11 


CHAPTER  XL 

A    BITTER    AXD    RELENTLESS    AVARFARE. 

Mrs.  "Wallingford  left  the  sewing  society  greatly  troubled 
with  what  she  had  heard,  while  her  knowledge  of  Edith's 
relations  with  the  present  Mrs.  Graham,  added  to  her  excel- 
lent judgment,  had  quickly  induced  her  to  doubt  the 
correctness  of  Mrs.  Graham's  statements,  and  she  would 
have  sought  Edith  at  once  for  further  information  were  it 
not  that  she  disliked  to  appear  to  be  prying  into  her  private 
affairs  ;  so  in  the  evening,  when  she  met  her  husband  and 
daughter,  she  determined  to  lay  before  them  what  she  had 
heard  and  ask  their  advice  as  to  her  proper  course. 

"I  met  with  a  queer  experience  to-day,"  began  Miss 
Wallingford,  as  she  entered  the  room  where  her  father  and 
mother  were  sitting.  ^*  While  mother  was  at  the  sewing 
society  I  was  favored  with  a  visit  from  Bertha  Locke,  Mrs. 
Graham's  companion. " 

''And  was  that  a  queer  experience  ?"  inquired  her  father. 

"'No,  not  her  visit  so  inuch  as  what  I  now  believe  to  have 
been  her  object  in  coming.  I  have  never  felt  very  well 
acquainted  with  her,  and  naturally  our  conversation  was 
somewhat  formal,  but  had  not  progressed  very  far  before 
she  introduced  the  subject  of  Mr.  Graham's  death.     Here, 

162 


FOILED.  163 

thought  I,  is  neutral  ground,  upon  which  we  can  meet,  and 
I  at  once  became  interested.  Now  comes  the  queer  part  of 
it.  I  soon  found  that  her  conversation  tended  more  directly 
to  Edith's  private  affairs  than  to  Mr.  Graham's  death,  and 
I  could  not  direct  it  into  another  channel  before  she  con- 
veyed the  intelligence  that  Edith  was  making  trouble  for 
Mrs.  Graham,  who  was  liable  to  be  left  nearly  destitute  if 
Edith  succeeded  in  her  law  suit." 

"  Have  you  not  transposed  the  names  ?"  asked  her  father, 
with  a  knowing  look  at  his  good  wife. 

"Aha  ! "  said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  so  earnestly  as  to  make 
them  both  look  up,  "I  think  I  see  the  whole  plan  now; 
and  as  this  has  been  turned  into  an  experience  meeting,  I 
will  take  my  turn  and  tell  you  another  queer  story.  I  saw 
Mrs.  Graham,  much  to  my  surprise,  at  the  sewing  society 
this  afternoon.  She  was  holding  a  very  animated  and  con- 
fidential conversation  with  a  circle  of  friends.  When  she 
left,  I  had  almost  forgotten  her  presence,  when  my  atten- 
tion was  attracted  by  a  remark  let  fall  by  Mrs.  Brandon, 
and  upon  inquiry  I  found  that  Mrs.  Graham  had  sown  the 
seed  of  discord  and  it  was  rapidly  bearing  fruit ;  even  the 
mild  and  kind-hearted  Mrs.  Gray  was  very  much  inclined 
to  condemn  Edith  without  inquiring  if  Mrs.  Graham  was 
an  unprejudiced  witness.  I  called  their  attention  to  this, 
and  Mrs.  Gray  at  once  acknowledged  the  injustice  of  so 
doing,  but  she  was  the  only  one." 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Wallingford,  "I  should  say  that  my 
experience  would  teach  that  as  old  neighbors  and  friends  of 
Edith's  mother  it  is  our  duty  to  inform  her  of  this  and 
place  her  on  her  guard ;  for  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  this  is 


164  FOILED. 

the  beginning  of  a  conspiracy  that,  before  it  is  ended,  will 
try  Edith's  fortitude  and  make  her  feel  the  need  of  advice 
from  her  true  friends." 

"You  have  answered  my  question  before  it  was  asked/' 
said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  "for  I  intended  to  ask  your  advice 
upon  this  very  matter  ;  and  now,  if  you  think  best,  I  shall 
see  Edith  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  I  would  do  so,  most  assuredly,"  replied  Mr.  Walling- 
ford, decisively. 

"Then  I  shall  go,"  and  true  to  her  word,  the  next  day 
found  her  at  Edith's  house. 

"  Would  you  resent  it,  Edith,  if  I  were  to  inquire  into 
your  relations  with  Mrs.  Graham  ?"  began  Mrs.  Walling- 
ford. 

"Not  in  the  least ;  I  have  nothing  to  conceal,"  replied 
Edith,  "and  have  done  nothing  that  I  am  ashamed  of." 

"  I  have  heard  that  you  were  trying  to  break  your  father's 
will ;  is  this  true  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Wallingford,  anxiously. 

Edith's  face  flushed  as  she  replied  :  "It  is  false  !  I  am 
perfectly  satisfied  with  the  will,  and  have  no  desire  to  break 
it,  nor  have  I  made  any  attempt  to  do  so.  Who  told  you 
that  I  had?" 

"  Mrs.  Grraham  circulated  the  story  at  the  sewing  society," 
said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  quietly,  "and  Bertha  told  it  to  my 
daughter." 

"  Mrs.  Graham  should  be  the  last  person  to  make  a  charge 
like  that,"  said  Edith,  indignantly;  "if  any  one  lias 
attempted  to  break  the  will  she  is  the  one." 

"That  is  what  Mr.  W^xllingford  thinks.  But  tell  me, 
how  did  this  trouble  arise  ?  " 


FOILED.  165 

'^  By  her  attempting  to  take  more  than  she  is  entitled 
to,  and  then  objecting  to  my  employing  a  lawyer  to  pro- 
tect me,"  replied  Edith,  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  But,  Edith,  if  your  father  left  a  will  how  can  she  take 
more  than  she  is  entitled  to — does  the  law  allow  her  to  do 
this?" 

''  By  a  technicality,  I  believe  it  does,"  replied  Edith, 
sadly. 

''That  seems  strange;  but  never  mind,  I  can  ask  Mr. 
Wallingford  about  that.  Now,  Edith,  are  you  sure  you 
fully  understand  this  just  as  it  is  ?  " 

"  My  lawyer  tells  us  so,  but  I  know  nothing  beyond  that 
except  that  Arthur  confirms  what  he  says." 

"  Your  lawyer  might  be  interested  in  misleading  you, 
Edith,  but  if  Arthur  has  inquired  into  it  that  would  seem 
to  be  good  evidence  ;'do  you  know  that  he  has  done  this?" 

*' No,  I  do  not, know  that  he  has.  But,  Mrs.  Walling- 
ford, one  would  naturally  think  you  had  spent  much  time 
and  thought  on  this  subject,"  said  Edith,  laughing, 

"  I  have  done  so,  Edith,  but  I  can  assure  you  it  has  not 
been  from  idle  curiosity.  If  I  find  you  are  in  the  wrong,  I 
shall  take  the  liberty  to  tell  you  so  plainly ;  but  if  you  are 
being  wronged,  as  I  now  begin  to  fear  you  are,  you  shall 
have  all  the  aid  and  advice  that  the  Wallingfords  are  able 
to  give." 

""We  have  had  grave  fears  that  we  should  need  all  the 
advice  and  aid  our  friends  could  give  us,"  said  Edith,  hope- 
fully, *'but  since  the  first  outbreak  we  have  had  no  cause 
for  alarm  and  I  now  hope  that  the  worst  is  over." 

''Therein  lies  your  greatest  danger,  Edith,"  replied  Mrs. 


166  FOILED. 

Wallingford,  earnestly.  "  While  you  are  idle  the  enemy, 
as  I  now  believe  Mrs.  Graham  to  be,  is  gathering  together 
all  its  forces  to  hurl  them  upon  you  at  some  unexpected 
moment,  with  the  hope  of  crushing  you  to  the  ground.  I 
do  not  wish  to  alarm  you,  but  I  cannot  refrain  from  impress- 
ing upon  you  the  necessity  for  great  vigilance  in  all  you  say 
and  do,  so  that  she  may  not  be  able  to  take  advantage  of 
your  unguarded  acts.  I  am  afraid  that  many  of  your  friends 
will  be  alienated  from  you  by  the  combined  efforts  of  herself 
and  Bertha.  I  believe  this  is  now  being  tried,  and  it  is 
almost  sure  to  be  partly  successful,  at  least." 

''What  you  have  said  does  alarm  me,"  replied  Edith, 
anxiously,  "and  yet  if  it  j^roves  to  be  true  you  can  easily 
conceive  my  gratitude  for  your  timely  warning.  I  shall 
talk  with  Arthur  about  it  and  let  you  know  what  we  will 
do." 

''We  shall  watch  developments  with  much  anxiety,  I 
assure  you,  and  will  take  every  opportunity  to  correct  these 
false  rumors.  We  can  hardly  exhibit  our  friendship  in  a 
better  way  than  that.  Now  good-bye,  Edith,  and  keep  in 
the  right  path  and  you  need  fear  no  harm."  And  Mrs. 
Wallingford  left  Edith  to  her  own  thoughts. 

Edith  sat  thinking  over  what  Mrs.  Wallingford  had  said, 
until  the  servant  entered  and  handed  her  a  letter,  saying  : 

"A  messenger  from  your  mother's  has  just  left  this  for 
you." 

Edith  quickly  opened  the  letter  and  read  : 

"  Deae  Edith  : 

"I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  make  one  more  effort  to  save 
you  from  the  shame  and  disgrace  that  you  are  bringing  upon 


FOILED.  167 

yourself  by  the  course  you  are  now  pursuing.  It  has 
always  been  my  aim  and  I  have  always  tried  not  only  to  do 
everything-  for  you  in  order  that  you  might  not  have  cause 
for  complaint,  but  also  to  hide  and  cover  up  your  faults 
and  keep  your  disposition  hidden  from  the  eyes  of  our 
friends.  I  have  done  this  for  your  own  and  your  father's 
sake.  It  does  seem  more  than  I  can  bear  that  now,  so  soon 
after  the  death  of  one  of  the  best  of  fathers,  you  should 
make  such  a  public  exhibition  of  avarice  and  greed, 
thereby  driving  from  you  the  friends  who  would  otherwise 
stand  by  you. 

"  But  this  I  might  bear  were  it  not  that  by  your  acts  you 
bring  dishonor  upon  the  name  of  him  who  in  his  lifetime 
never  did  a  dishonorable  action  or  caused  a  friend  to  blush 
for  shame.  I  did  hope  that  you  would  be  guided  by  the 
advice  of  your  uncle  Webster  and  wise  counsel  would  pre- 
vail. I  am  so  sorry  for  Arthur.  He  is  a  young  man,  just 
establishing  a  business  reputation,  and  can  ill  afford  to 
place  himself  in  a  position  that  makes  him  appear  ridicu- 
lous in  the  eyes  of  business  men. 

"  It  is  not  I  that  you  are  fighting,  it  is  the  law.  I  had 
no  more  to  do  with  this  matter  than  any  other  person,  and 
were  it  under  my  control  I  would  give  up  everything,  as  I 
always  have  done,  for  peace.  But  this  cannot  be  when  law 
comes  in  with  its  authority,  and  I  am  told  that  I  have 
already  overstepped  my  legal  rights  in  giving  you  so  much 
in  trying  to  make  a  reconciliation.  But  I  am  so  anxious 
to  save  your  father's  name  from  dishonor  and  reproach  that 
I  now  again  beg  of  you  to  desist. 

"  But  if  you  do  not,  remember  that  you  are  the  one  most 
to  be  injured.  I  am  entirely  at  a  loss  to  see  what  your  object 
can  be,  and  none  of  your  former  friends  can  understand 
your  motives.  If  it  is  to  get  a  little  more  money 
than  rightfully  belongs  to  you,  you  will  find  that  money  is 
little  as  compared  to  the  shame  and  dishonor  of  such  a 


168  FOILED. 

proceeding.     Think  of  what  your  poor  father  would  say  of 
such  actions,  and  consider  what  you  are  doing  before  it  is 

too  late.     In  great  haste, 

*'  Yours,  as  ever, 

"  Mother." 

Edith  slowly  folded  the  letter,  and  laying  it  upon  the 
table,  arose  and  paced  the  floor.  Slowly  back  and  forth 
she  passed  the  cause  of  all  her  trouble,  her  agony  of  doubt 
and  uncertainty  keeping  her  in  such  a  ferment  that  to  sit 
quietly  seemed  a  mockery.  Now,  for  the  first  time  since 
iier  contest  with  Mrs.  Graham,  she  faltered. 

''I  can  willingly  stand  all  the  rest,"  said  Edith,  half 
xiloud,  ''but  father's  good  name  must  never  suffer  at  my 
iiands.  It  must  be  that  Arthur  did  not  think  of  this  when 
lie  advised  this  course,"  and  Edith  continued  her  idle 
walking,  her  sensitive  nature  all  on  fire  at  the  picture  Mrs. 
Graham  had  drawn  of  her  father's  disgrace.  At  last  the 
tears  came  to  her  relief,  and  sinking  into  a  chair  she  wept 
bitter  tears  of  remorse  and  anguish. 

It  was  thus  that  Arthur  found  her  upon  his  return,  and 
with  much  surprise  inquired  the  cause  of  her  grief. 

"That  letter,"  replied  Edith  ;  " read  it,  Arthur,  and  see 
what  she  says." 

Arthur  hastily  read  the  letter,  and  then  tossing  it  upon 
the  table,  said  with  a  laugh  : 

''And  is  that  all  you  are  crying  over,  Edith  ?" 

' '  But,  Arthur,  have  we  not  been  unwise  in  what  we 
have  done  ?  "  inquired  Edith,  in  surprise.  "And  will  not 
father's  memory  be  dishonored  by  what  we  are  doing  ?" 

•''•  No,  it  will  not !"  replied  Arthur,  firmly.  '"  The  cause 
for  his  name  being  dishonored,  if  such  should  prove  to  be 


FOILED.  169 

the  outcome,  rests  entirely  upon  her,  and  all  that  we  can 
do  toward  carrying  out  his  will  can  do  his  name  no  harm." 

''But  is  there  not  some  truth  in  what  she  says?  "in- 
quired Edith,  anxiously. 

** There  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  the  whole  letter,"  re- 
plied Arthur,  angrily,  ''and  it  shows  more  clearly  than  I 
dared  expect  that  she  is  fearful  we  may  succeed.  The 
only  thing  that  may  prove  true  is  her  covert  threat  that 
you  will  be  harmed  more  than  she,  but  this  can  only  be  by 
her  talking  against  you  and  misrepresenting  facts. " 

"  That  reminds  me,"  said  Edith,  somewhat  comforted 
by  Arthur's  words,  "  that  Mrs.  Wallingford  called  on  me 
this  afternoon  and  told  me  that  Mrs.  Graham  and  Bertha 
were  at  work  to  influence  our  friends  against  us  and  warned 
me  to  be  on  my  guard." 

"  I  thought  she  was  taking  things  too  quietly  for  our 
safety,"  replied  Arthur,  anxiously  ;  "but,  thanks  to  the 
kindness  of  Mrs.  Wallingford,  we  will  now  know  what  to 
expect." 

"  But  do  you  think  she  will  succeed  ?  "  inquired  Edith, 
anxiously. 

"  Yes,  to  an  extent  that  we  cannot  now  conceive  of ; 
she  has  a  decided  advantage  over  you  in  this  respect,  Edith  ; 
for  she  can  make  them  believe  that  black  is  white  where 
you  could  not  make  them  believe  it  black.  If  you  desire 
to  feel  what  she  can  do,  keep  your  eyes  open  when  next  you 
attend  church  and  you  will  see." 

"But,  Arthur,  are  you  sure  that  we  are  in  the  right  ?" 
inquired  Edith,  despondingly. 

"Yes,  Edith,  I  am  certain  that  we  are  ;  but  what  makes 
you  doubt  it  ?  " 


170  FOILED. 

''Mrs.  Wallingford  suggested  that  Mr.  Blood  might  be 
interested  in  misleading  us,  and  asked  me  if  you  knew  of 
your  own  knowledge  that  these  things  were  true." 

"And  a  wise  woman  she  is,"  replied  Arthur,  admiringly. 
"  Yes,  I  have  seen  the  pajDers  in  the  case  and  they  leave  no 
room  for  doubt." 

Unfortunately  for  Edith's  peace  of  mind,  when  next  she 
attended  church  her  eyes  and  mind  were  on  the  alert  to 
notice  any  change  that  had  taken  place  among  those  she 
numbered  as  her  friends,  and,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
she  found  more  than  she  desired.  While  many  innocent 
acts  were  by  her  disordered  imagination  distorted  into 
most  grievous  slights,  others  would  have  carried  conviction 
to  even  less  sensitive  souls  than  hers.  Of  these,  Mrs. 
Brandon  was  no  exception.  Her  open  stare  as  she  looked 
Edith  in  the  face  and  passed  her  by,  only  to  most  cordially 
greet  Mrs.  Graham,  could  not  be  misunderstood ;  while 
Mrs.  Adell's  indifference  to  her  presence  was  fully  under- 
stood by  Edith,  who,  sick  and  sore  at  heart,  turned  to 
where  Arthur  with  much  apparent  interest  was  watching 
the  effective  manner  with  which  Mrs.  Graham  was  using 
her  deei")ly  bordered  handkerchief,  as  she  alternately 
smiled  or  sobbed,  as  best  fitted  each  new  arrival  within  the 
circle  of  her  admiring  friends. 

"  I  have  found  out,"  said  Edith,  with  a  shudder  at  the 
remembrance  of  her  experience,  ''and  I  now  feel  as  if  I 
could  never  enter  these  doors  again." 

"  There  is  one  thing,  Edith,  that  you  must  now  try  and 
learn,"  said  Arthur,  as  they  sadly  walked  along,  "and  the 
sooner  you  learn  it  the  better  for  your  peace  of  mind  ;  fol- 
low Longfellow's  advice  and  let 


FOILED.  1?1 

Time  lay  his  hand  upon  j-our  heart,  gently,  not  smiting  it. 
But  as  a  harper  lays  his  open  palm  upon  his  liarp,  to  deaden  its 
vibrations. 

''As  it  is  now,  you  are  like  a  frail  flower,  only  too  easily 
crushed  under  the  foot  of  any  one  whose  manner  assumes 
"superiority,  Avhile  it  should  be  that  you  could  firmly  face 
the  world  so  long  as  you  are  certain  that  you  are  in  the 
right." 

"You  could  do  that,  Arthur,  but  not  I,"  replied  Edith, 
sadly. 

"  It  would  take  away  one  of  your  greatest  charms,  Edith," 
replied  Arthur,  kindly,  "  but  it  would  save  you  many  bit- 
ter tears  ;  for  I  could  not  fail  to  notice  when  we  were  com- 
ing out  of  church  that  here  and  there  you  would  wince  and 
tremble  at  some  imagined  slight  that  to  me  seemed  entirely 
unintentional. " 

"  Hush  !  Here  comes  Miss  Ashton,"  said  Edith,  under 
her  breath,  as  she  quickly  stepped  forward  to  meet  her. 

As  Miss  Ashton  came  toward  her,  she  carefully  lifted  the 
folds  of  her  dress,  and  stepping  to  one  side,  her  eyes  mean- 
while riveted  upon  Edith's,  passed  her  without  a  word. 

Edith's  breath  came  quick  and  fast  as  she  felt  the  full 
force  of  the  blow,  and  then  for  a  moment  her  heart  stood 
still  while  the  receding  blood  left  her  face  deathly  pale. 

"Well,"  said  Arthur,  "there  was  no  mistaking  that !  " 

"  No,"  said  Edith,  greatly  agitated,  "  but  why,  I  cannot 
understand. " 

"  0,  it  is  very  plain  to  me,"  replied  Arthur,  concealing 
his  true  feelings  :  "  Some  designing  person  has  only  to  tell 
her  a  plausible  story  and,  regardless  of  its  truth  or  falsity, 
the  friendship  of  a  lifetime  is  thrown  to  the  winds.    See?" 


It'i  FOILED. 

"  I  don't  believe  you  would  care  if  I  lost  every  friend  I 
had,  Arthur,"  said  Edith,  half  provoked  at  his  levity. 

''Care!''  replied  Arthur,  bitterly.  ''What's  the  use  of 
caring  ?  It  is  the  way  of  the  world,  and  whether  you  laugh 
or  die  of  a  broken  heart,  the  world  moves  on  in  just  the 
fiame  old  way.  Look  at  it  philosophically,  Edith,  and  the 
poison  of  the  sting  is  at  once  removed." 

"I  feel  more  like  sinking  in  despair,"  said  Edith,  as  she 
entered  the  house. 

"  If  you  are  going  to  sink,  choose  something  else  than 
despair,"  said  Arthur,  with  mock  solemnity  ;  "  of  all  un- 
satisfactory things  I  know  of,  there  are  none  more  so  than 
sinking  in  despair.  Do  as  I  do,  Edith,  sink  into  a  com- 
fortable seat  and  look  pleasant,"  and  Arthur,  suiting  his 
actions  to  his  words,  seated  himself  in  a  chair,  and  calmly 
surveyed  the  troubled  face  of  his  wife. 

"  I  wish  I  had  your  disposition,"  said  Edith  ;  "  nothing 
worries  you,  nothing  causes  you  the  least  concern. " 

"There  you  make  a  grave  mistake,  Edith,"  replied 
Arthur,  at  once  becoming  serious ;  "  but  the  effect  my 
actions  had  upon  you  is  the  best  proof  that  the  appearance 
-of  stoical  indifference  is  the  best  armor  a  person  can  wear 
against  the  envious  darts  of  hate." 

"  And  do  you  feel  pained  at  what  has  occurred  ?"  inquired 
Edith,  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,"  quickly  replied  Arthur,  "  I  feel  it  keenly  ;  did  I 
not,  I  would  be  less  than  human.  Do  you  think  as  I  look 
back  over  all  the  time  that  this  woman  has  persecuted  you, 
and  my  eyes  follow  the  dark  and  fearful  trail  that  begins 
mth  her  appearance  in  your  home  and  ends  only  with  the 


FOILED.  113 

wreck  that  we  Iiave  witnessed  to-day,  that  I  do  not  feel  pained 
at  the  sight,  and  desperate  that  I  cannot  stay  its  course  ? 
To  doubt  it,  Edith,  is  to  doubt  my  love  for  you  ;  and  yet 
I  would  not  advise  you  to  any  other  course  than  that  we 
have  decided  on.  To  you  this  experience  is  like  a  winter's 
blast,  it  sears  and  drives  you  within  yourself  ;  with  me,  it 
the  more  firmly  fixes  my  resolve  to  have  justice  meted  out  to 
you  ;  and  though  all  our  friends  should  desert  us,  we  still 
have  each  the  other,  and  can  safely  trust  time  to  set  all 
things  right. " 

"But  would  it  not  be  better  to  give  up  trying  to  obtain- 
justice,  and  let  the  matter  drop  ;  is  not  the  loss  of  friends- 
and  the  false  position  that  we  are  placed  in  a  greater  pen- 
alty than  we  are  willing  to  pay  ?'"  inquired  Edith,  anx- 
iously. 

''  It  has  become  a  very  serious  matter,"  replied  Arthur, 
thoughtfully,  ''and  one  that  causes  me  great  anxiety  ;  for 
I  must  confess  that  I  do  not  see  my  way  clearly  and  cannot 
tell  what  the  outcome  will  be.  We  are  just  beginning  to 
realize  the  tremendous  pressure  that  is  to  be  brought  ta 
bear  upon  us  to  make  us  retract,  and  beside  those  who  have 
been  turned  against  us  here,  we  will  probably  find  that 
uncle  Ralph's  family  and  your  aunt  Hattie  have  already 
gone  over  to  the  enemy.  You  have  not  received  a  word  of 
condolence  or  sympathy  from  them  since  father  Graham's 
death,  and  under  these  circumstances  their  silence  bodes 
us  no  good." 

"  0,  she  cannot  influence  them  !"  replied  Edith,  confi- 
dently. 

"But  if  that  proves  true,  it  does  not  relieve  the  situation 


174  FOILED. 

of  its  seriousness,"  replied  Arthur,  earnestly.  "We  are 
destined  to  experience  a  bitter  and  relentless  warfare,  and 
this  Avoman  will  hesitate  at  nothing  that  gives  promise  of 
aiding  her  to  accomplish  her  purpose.  Coarse  in  her  nature, 
and  less  sensitive  in  lier  disposition  than  you,  she  can  smile 
where  you  would  despair.  But  above  all  this  the  right 
stands  out  clearly  and  distinctly  on  our  side.  Shall  we  go 
forward  or  shall  we  yield  ?" 

"I  cannot  say  what  we  should  do,  Arthur,"  replied 
Edith,  doubtfully  ;  "  but  whatever  course  you  decide  upon, 
I  will  stand  by  you  though  all  our  friends  desert  us." 

''I  have  never  doubted  your  constancy,  Edith,  and  now 
if  you  are  ready  to  make  this  sacrifice  we  will  fight  the  old 
dragon  until  she  cries  for  pity,"  said  Arthur,  resolutely. 

''But  if  she  should  be  the  victor,  how  then  ?"  inquired 
Edith,  not  so  easily  reassured.  , 

"  She  will  make  us  fight  to  the  bitter  end,  and  we  must 
ask  no  favors,"  replied  Arthur,  his  spirits  quickly  return- 
ing now  that  his  course  had  been  decided  upon. 

The  following  days  were  only  the  beginning  of  many 
sorrowful  ones  to  Edith,  who  from  this  time  on  found  more 
enjoyment  in  lier  home  than  she  dared  expect  to  find  in  any 
other  place,  and  this  the  more  readily  reconciled  her  to 
exclude  herself  from  the  rude  shocks  that  she  now  and  then 
encountered  when  she  met  her  former  friends. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SHE    IS    A    WOMAX — I    CAX    DO    NOTHIXG. 

It  was  not  many  days  after  the  receipt  of  her  letter  that 
Edith  was  surprised  to  see  Mrs.  Graham  alight  at  her  door, 
and  her  heart  stood  still  for  a  moment  as  she  thought  of  the 
trial  that  was  in  store  for  her. 

"I  came,  Edith,"  began  Mrs.  Graham,  '''more  from  a 
sense  of  duty  than  pleasure,  I  can  assure  you  ;  and  while  I 
feel  the  disgrace  you  have  brought  upon  us,  it  does  not 
relieve  me  from  my  responsibility  concerning  you.  You 
received  my  letter,  I  suppose  ?" 

"  I  did,"  replied  Edith,  almost  inaudibly. 

"  Ah,  well,  my  mind  is  relieved,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  re- 
signedly. "  I  received  no  reply  and  so  could  not  know  that 
it'  had  reached  you." 

"I  did  not  think  it  required  an  answer,"  said  Edith, 
quietly. 

''It  did  not,  particularly;   and  now  that  I  know  you 

received  it,  I  feel  that  my  duty  has  been  done  even  though 

you  still  persist  in  your  course.     I  have  done  all  that  I  could 

to  save  you,  Edith,  and  you  must  now  take  the  consequences 

of  your  acts." 

175 


176  FOILED. 

"■  I  have  no  desire  to  do  what  is  not  right,"  replied  Edith, 
meekly. 

"  Then  why  do  you  persist  in  doing  as  you  do  ?"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  turtiing  sharply  upon  her,  "  Your  own 
interests  ought  to  be  reason  enough  to  make  you  change 
your  course,  even  if  you  care  nothing  for  friends,  reputa- 
tion, or  your  father's  good  name.  This  all-absorbing  love 
of  money  is  something  I  cannot  understand.  It  is  too  low 
and  too  base  in  its  nature  to  have  even  one  redeeming  fea- 
ture." 

Edith  could  make  no  reply,  only  the  silent  tears  gave 
evidence  that  she  felt  what  Mrs.  Graham  said. 

"I  saw  your  aunt  Hattie  a  few  days  ago,"  continued 
Mrs.  Graham,  unmoved  by  Edith's  tears,  "  and  I  found  that 
she  had  already  heard  of  your  actions  and  knew  of  all  your 
evil  doings.  When  she  first  heard  of  it  she  decided  to  come 
and  see  you  and  urge  you  to  change  your  course,  but  when 
die  realized  the  shame  and  disgrace  that  you  had  brought 
upon  the  memory  of  your  father  she  changed  her  mind,  and 
now  says  she  never  wishes  to  see  you  again." 

"But  why  should  she  say  that  ?"  gasped  Edith,  nearly 
overcome  by  the  shock. 

''Why  !"  repeated  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  scornful  smile. 
"  Unless  you  are  deceiving  yourself  you  know  only  too 
well  why  I" 

"I  cannot  understand  it,"  said  Editli,  mournfully. 

"That  is  because  you  are  so  blinded  by  greed  and 
avarice  that  you  will  not  see,'^  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  dis- 
dainfully. '^  Your  whole  desire  seems  to  be  to  obtain  your 
father's  money,  regardless  of  the  disgrace  your  actions  bring 
upon  us  all." 


FOILED.  177 

"Why,  Mrs.  Graham  !*'  said  Edith,  appealingly,  "I  do 
not  feel  that  way  at  all  !  I  confess  that  I  would  like  some 
little  keepsake,  some  memento  from  my  mother's  home, 
but  that  is  all." 

'^I  knew  that  was  it/'  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  with  exas- 
perating calmness  ;  '^  you  are  all  absorbed  with  your  desires 
to  get  hold  of  this  proi)erty." 

"  But  the  trifles  I  ask  for  would  be  worthless  to  any  one 
else,"  said  Edith,  astonished  at  her  own  boldness.  "  0, 
Mrs.  Graham  !  will  you  not  let  me  have  something  that 
belonged  to  my  mother,  I  care  not  what  it  is,  only  that  her 
hands  should  have  touched  it  V 

For  a  moment  Mrs.  Graham  regarded  Edith  with  a  smile 
of  pitiless  scorn,  then,  with  biting  sarcasm,  she  asked  : 

"And  is  it  the  favors  I  have  received  at  your  hands  that 
induces  you  to  ask  these  favors  of  me  ?  You  are  aware,  I 
suppose,  that  I  must  pay  for  every  item  of  this  personal 
property,  whether  I  give  it  away  or  sell  it." 

"But  I  would  pay  you  for  it  I"  replied  Edith,  desper- 
ately. "  Yes,  I  would  pay  many  times  its  value  if  you 
would  only  let  me  have  something  by  which  to  remember 
my  dead  mother  and  ho-  Lome  !"' 

"I  have  no  need  of  your  money,  Edith,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  complacently. 

"  But  may  I  not  have  some  memento  from  my  former 
home  ? — something — anything  !"  cried  Edith,  despairingly. 
"  0,  Mrs.  Graham  !  you  cannot  deny  me  that ;  you  cannot 
want  them  all !" 

^'No,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  slowly,  "  I  do  not  want  them  ; 
but  so  long  as  you  oppose  my  desires  you  can  expect  nothing 

12 


178  FOILED. 

— absolutely  nothing  !  I  would  burn  them  and  throw  the 
ashes  to  the  winds  rather  than  see  you  enjoy  them  under 
these  circumstances  !" 

Edith's  gentle  nature  could  not  fathom  the  depth  of  Mrs. 
Graham's  relentless  hatred.  She  felt  that  by  tliis  woman 
she  was  hated,  always  had  been,  and  always  would  be  ;  but 
she  also  knew  that  money  was  Mrs.  Graham's  god,  and 
wliy  she  should  refuse  her  offer  of  many  times  the  value  for 
the  trifles  she  desired  was  to  her  a  puzzling  mystery  which 
s^ie  silently  tried  to  solve,  until  Mrs.  Graham  asked,  inquir- 
ingly : 

"  Have  any  of  your  friends  called  lately,  Edith  ?" 

''  Only  Mrs.  Wallingford,"  was  the  reluctant  reply. 

"  0,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  significantly,  ''is  she  the  only 
one  ?" 

"Yes,"  rej)lied  Editli,  sorrowfully,  "she  is  the  only 
one." 

"Have  you  heard  from  the  relatives  lately  ?"  continued 
Mrs.  Graham,  with  malicious  indifference  to  the  pain  she 
saw  she  was  causing  Edith. 

"  I  have  not  heard  from  them  since  father  died,'^  said 
Edith,  bursting  into  tears. 

"  Yoii  do  not  wonder  at  it  under  the  circumstances,  do 
you  r 

"  I  cannot  help  wondering  at  it,'^  said  Edith,  piteously, 
"for  it  seems  very  strange,  and  Arthur  tliinks  some  one 
must  have  misrepresented  things  to  them,  for  they  have  no 
cause  to  feel  offended  at  anything  we  have  done. " 

"Poor  child  P'  said  Mrs.  Graham,  consolingly,  '^  how 
little  you  realize  the  extent  of  3'our  misdeeds  !     You  have 


FOILED.  179 

always  had  me  to  cover  up  your  faults  and  hide  your  evil 
doings,  and  now  you  are  surprised  when  you  find  thaft  I 
can  do  so  no  longer.     Have  you  seen  Miss  Ashton  lately  ?■' 

"No/'  replied  Edith,  despairingly,  '^  something  has 
turned  even  her  against  me,  and  she  does  not  speak  to  me 
now." 

*'  You  have  not  given  up  attending  your  church,  have 
you,  Edith  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  with  well-feigned 
solicitude. 

■'Yes,  we  cannot  bear  to  attend  there  any  longer,  and 
Arthur  has  decided  that  we  will  stay  away." 

"  I  am  shocked  to  hear  you  say  so  !"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
impressively.  "  You  should  remember  that  ij  :/U  keep 
away  from  the  source  of  good  you  are  certain  to  become 
worse  instead  of  better.  There  is  a  promise,  Edith,  that 
*  though  your  sins  be  like  scarlet  they  shall  be  made  white 
as  wool ;-  and  though  your  friends  may  censure  your  actions 
and  feel  that  you  have  done  wrong,  it  only  makes  matters 
worse  to  lead  a  life  like  this,  without  a  God  or  a  hope  in  the 
hereafter.  I  have  always  found  peace  and  comfort  in  these 
things,  and  in  this  terrible  affliction  " — and  Mrs.  Graham 
hesitated  a  moment  while  she  wiped  the  tears  away — "  I 
find  my  greatest  strength  and  fortitude  by  keeping  near  to 
Him." 

''But  we  do  attend  church,"  said  Edith,  in  desperation 
at  the  thought  of  this  last  hope  of  comfort  being  taken 
from  her  ;  "  we  go  elsewhere." 

*'  Have  you  become  members  of  any  other  church  ?"  in- 
quired Mrs.  Graham,  calmly. 

"  No,  we  have  not,  as  yet." 


180  FOILED. 

"  Then  you  are  as  far  from  grace  as  if  you  did  not  attend 
at' all,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  decisively. 

"1  feel  it,"  said  Edith,  ''and  have  spoken  to  Arthur 
about  it ;  but  he  says  no,  that  if  we  do,  the  same  evil  in- 
fluence will  enter  there  that  we  have  experienced  in  our 
own." 

"  0,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  smiling  in  spite  of  herself,  "  so 
he  has  arrived  at  that  exalted  condition  where  even  our 
churches  are  not  good  enough  for  him  !  Well,  Edith,  when 
you  and  Arthur  become  more  meek  in  spirit  I  shall  have 
some  hope  of  seeing  your  course  pointing  more  nearly  to 
the  straight  and  narrow  way  ;  until  then,  I  can  only  hope 
and  pray." 

And  thus  Edith  met  the  baleful  influence  of  this  woman 
at  every  turn.  She  saw  her  friends  droop  and  die,  while 
even  the  sanctity  of  her  home  was  ruthlessly  invaded  in 
order  that  one  more  poisoned  dart  might  be  hurled  into 
the  quivering  flesh  by  this  pitiless  hand. 

When  Arthur  entered  the  house  and  saw  Edith's  tear- 
stained  cheeks  and  deathly  paleness,  he  quickly  surmised 
that  she  had  again  been  afflicted  by  Mrs.  Graham's 
presence. 

"  Has  Mrs.  Graham  been  here  again  ?"  anxiously  inquired 
Arthur. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Edith  ;  "  but  how  did  you  know  it  ?" 

"  I  thought  so  by  your  ajapearance,"  said  Arthur,  uj^on 
whose  face  Edith  saw  slowly  creeping  a  look  that  she  had 
never  seen  there  before.  The  sight  alarmed  her,  and  she 
quickly  asked: 

"  Why,  Arthur,  what  is  the  matter  ?" 


FOILED.  181 

"0,  I  was  just  thinking  how  fortunate  it  was  for  her 
that  she  was  a  woman/'  said  Arthur,  evasively.  "  She 
never  enters  this  house  without  leaving  you  nearly  frenzied 
with  fear  and  desperation,  and  you  do  not  get  over  it  for 
days  afterward." 

''I  know  it/'  replied  Edith,  as  with  an  efEort  she  kept 
back  her  tears,  ^'but  I  cannot  help  it.  She  always  makes 
me  feel  that  I  am  entirely  in  the  wrong,  and  I  don't  dare  to 
argue  with  her,  while  her  cutting  sarcasm  and  aggravating 
manner  leave  me  utterly  powerless." 

"  Well,  Edith,"  said  Arthur,  hesitatingly,  "  I  have  never 
laid  a  command  upon  you  before,  and  I  dislike  to  do  so 
now,  but  you  should  remember  that  your  home  is  your 
castle,  and  no  intruder  has  a  right  to  enter  here  unless  by 
your  consent;  and  if  Mrs.  Graham  cannot  come  here  and 
act  like  a  lady,  you  must  make  her  understand  that  she 
cannot  come  at  all." 

''  But  I  could  not  do  that  !"  replied  Edith,  appalled  at 
the  thought.  "1  have  been  under  her  influence  so  long 
that  I  would  not  dare  to  object  to  anything  that  she  does." 

*^  You  must!"  said  Arthur,  decisively.  '^'This  refine- 
ment of  cruelty  is  more  than  I  am  willing  to  see  you  endure, 
and  if  I  were  present  she  would  not  dare  to  insult  and 
browbeat  you  in  this  manner,  for  she  knows  that  it  would 
not  do," 

''You  may  think  so,  Arthur,"  replied  Edith,  sadly, 
"  but  no  one  has  ever  dared  to  oppose  Mrs.  Graham — it 
would  not  do  ;  when  you  tried,  you  would  find  that  you 
could  not." 

''Well,  said  Arthur,  determinedly,  "if  she  ever  does  so 
in  my  presence  you  will  see." 


182  FOILED. 

''And  what  would  you  do  ?"  inquired  Edith,  wonder- 
ingly. 

"  Do  V  said  Arthur,  vehemently,  "  I  would —  She  is  a 
woman  —  I  could  do  nothing  !  The  law  protects  her  in 
robbing  you,  and  I  am  powerless  to  prevent  it ;  her  coarser 
nature  makes  it  safe  for  her  to  enter  your  home  and  make 
your  life  a  burden,  and  I  cannot  protect  you.  We  are 
entirely  at  her  mercy,  unless  you  can  throw  off  these 
slavish  chains  and  defy  her." 

"  But  I  could  not  do  that  !"  said  Edith,  trembling  at  the 
thought.  "  I  do  not  want  her  to  come,  and  yet  I  would  not 
dare  to  try  to  prevent  it." 

''  But  you  can  at  least  give  her  to  understand  that  this 
is  your  city  of  refuge,"  said  Arthur,  imploringly,  "and 
that  without  your  consent  she  cannot  enter.  This  you  must 
do,  Edith — it  is  your  only  safety  ;  for  I  have  seen  enough 
to-day  to  convince  me  that  she  is  straining  every  nerve  to 
make  our  lives  as  miserable  as  possible  in  order  that  she 
may  force  us  to  abandon  our  opposition.  This  morning 
I  had  hardly  entered  my  oflBce  before  I  was  favored  with  a 
call  from  Mr.  Lewiston,  who,  as  you  know,  was  a  firm  friend 
of  ours  as  well  as  father  Graham.  He  urged  me  to  take 
good  counsel  in  this  matter,  ai^d  thereby  if  possible  avoid 
the  disruption  of  family  ties  that  always  follows  law  suits. 
At  first  I  thought  he  came  only  as  a  friend  of  Mrs.  Graham's 
and  as  a  spy  upon  us  ;  but  after  I  had  talked  with  him  for 
some  time,  I  became  convinced  that  he  came  as  an  honest 
but  deluded  friend,  who  was  anxious  to  see  the  matter  in 
its  true  light  and  act  accordingly,  so  I  frankly  told 
him  what   we  were  doing   and  argued  the  case  for  some 


FOILED.  183 

time  ;  but  I  feel  certain  that  he  left  me  as  fully  impressed 
that  we  were  in  the  wrong  as  he  was  before  he  came,  and 
yet  I  believe  as  firmly  as  ever  that  we  are  right  and  that 
he  has  been  wrongly  informed  and  does  not  understand  the 
matter  as  it  is.  But  if  this  woman  can  thus  convince  those 
who  are  our  friends,  and  really  desirous  of  being  just,  what 
can  we  expect  from  those  who  are  not  so  favorably  in- 
clined ?  If  even  our  best  friends  believe  us  to  be  wrong, 
we  might  as  well  be,  as  far  as  their  opinion  is  concerned." 

''But  why  did  you  not  tell  him  that  Mrs.  Graham  was 
the  one  who  was  trying  take  more  than  father  gave  her  ?" 
inquired  Edith,  anxiously. 

"1  did,"  said  Arthur,  bitterly,  ''and  he  met  it  with  the 
same  old  answer,  that  it  was  impossible,  for  even  if  she 
desired  to  she  could  not,  for  the  reason  that  the  law  would 
prevent  her  from  doing  so  ;  and  I  know  that  he  left  me  with 
the  belief  that  we  were  in  the  wrong  and  she  in  the  right. 
But  to  fill  the  cup  to  overflov/ing,  I  got  a  letter  from  father, 
in  which  he  enclosed  one  that  he  had  received  from  Mrs. 
Graham,  in  which  she  says  : 

"Mr.  Howard  : 

'' Bear  Sir — I  was  surprised  and  disappointed  to  find 
that  you  had  been  in  the  city  and  did  not  come  to  see  me. 
I  can. only  account  for  it  by  the  supposition  that  you  have 
been  prejudiced  against  me  by  those  who  are  too  near  and 
dear  to  us  both  for  me  to  say  a  word  against,  even  in  self- 
defense.  Allow  me  to  remind  you,  however,  that  no  just 
judge  pronounces  a  verdict  without  first  hearing  both 
sides.  I  am  certainly  trying  to  do  right,  and  to  work  unsel- 
fishly for  the  best  interests  of  all.  I  am  acting  in  perfect 
accord  with  brother  Webster,  a  man  who  is  incapable  of 


184  FOILED. 

doing  intentional  wrong,  and  also  under  advice  of  both 
good  legal  counsel  and  wise  and  discreet  Christian  friends. 
May  I  not  have  the  friendship  of  yourself  and  family,  for 
it  seems  as  if  all  this  trouble  would  kill  me  ?  May  the 
Lord  guide  and  help  ! 

"  Yours,  as  ever, 

'' Sarah  J.  Geaham," 

"And  has  it  come  to  this  ?"'  said  Edith,  as  Arthur 
finished  reading. 

"  Yes,  it  has  come  to  the  point  where,  not  satisfied  with 
alienating  our  friends  and  acquaintances,  she  attempts  to 
prejudice  even  my  own  father  and  mother  against  us," 

"  But  she  did  not  succeed,  did  she  ?  What  did  your 
father  write  in  return  ?  "  said  Edith  in  one  breath. 

"  He  answered  that  he  did  not  care  to  enter  into  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  case,  and  had  gone  no  farther  in  his  investi- 
gations than  to  see  the  clause  in  the  will  where  Mr.  Graham 
bequeathed  her  an  equal  one-third,  and  her  signature  to  the 
document  in  which  she  demanded  that  a  large  amount  in 
excess  of  that  be  set  off  to  her  as  a  widow's  award.  That 
if  he  had  judged  her  at  all,  it  was  not  upon  rumor  or  hear- 
say evidence,  but  upon  the  "evidence  of  this  paper,  duly 
signed  and  sworn  to  by  herself." 

"  Good  !  good  !  isn't  he  just  splendid  ?  "  shouted  Edith, 
nearly  beside  herself  with  joy. 

'^Well,"  replied  Arthur  complacently,  "I  would  not 
think  much  of  my  father  and  mother  if  they  had  not  done 
so." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


ROUTED    AXD    DISMAYED. 


''Drive  to  Mrs.  Wallingford's,"  was  Mrs,  Graham's  order 
as  slie  left  Edith  and  entered  her  carriage. 

I  have  delayed  too  long  in  calling  there,  thought  Mrs. 
Graham,  and  must  now  make  up  for  my  delay.  If  she 
remains  a  friend  to  Edith  when  I  leave  her,  I  shall  be  sur- 
prised. 

''I  have  just  called  on  Edith,"  began  Mrs.  Graham,  as 
Mrs.  Wallingford  entered  her  parlor,  *'and  on  my 
return  I  thought  I  could  drop  in  and  see  you  without  your 
considering  me  as  being  indelicate  in  so  doing." 

"Apologies  are  entirely  unnecessary,"  replied  Mrs.  Wal- 
lingford, courteously;  ''I  should  not  have  considered  it 
indelicate  even  without  your  apology.  But  how  did  you 
find  Edith?" 

''She  is  in  excellent  health,  thank  you,  "replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  graciously,  "and  seems  to  enjoy  herself  as  heartily 
as  at  any  time  in  her  life." 

"That  takes  a  load  of  guilt  from  off  my  conscience," 
replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  smiling.  "I  have  intended  every 
day  to  make  her  a  visit,  but  procrastination  has  been  the 
thief  that  has  taken  all  my  time,  until  I  now  find  that  it 

185 


186  FOILED. 

has  been  several  days  since  I  last  saw  her,  and  my  con- 
science began  to  be  unruly." 

^' You  have  many  friends  whom  you  do  not  see  as  often 
as  that,  I  dare  say/'  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  smiling. 

"Yes,  too  many,  I  am  afraid,"  said  Mrs.  Wallingford, 
consciously;  '^but  Edith's  case  is  different.  I  left  her 
burdened  with  care  and  greatly  worried,  and  as  an  old 
friend  I  felt  that  it  was  my  duty  to  cheer  and  advise  her  to 
the  full  extent  of  my  ability." 

"That  is  a  rare  species  of  friendship,  Mrs.  Wallingford," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  quietly,  ''and  one  that  is  well  worth 
one's  best  efforts  to  possess.  I  judge  you  must  be  a  firm  friend 
of  Edith's." 

''Yes,  or  any  other  young  woman  who  is  placed  in  her 
unfortunate  condition,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  earnestly. 

"It  is  strange,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  musingly,  "that 
I  have  not  seen  some  indication  that  she  so  keenly  felt  her 
father's  death." 

"She  is  human,  Mrs.  Graham,  and  must  feel  his  death, 
even  though  she  makes  no  outward  sign,"  replied  Mrs. 
Wallingford,  half  reproachfully. 

"I  supposed  her  thoughts  were  only  of  his  money  and 
her  worry  that  she  might  not  get  more  than  was  justly 
hers,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  sigh. 

"In  that  respect,  Mrs.  Graham,  you  have  misjudged 
her,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  confidently,  "for  that  is 
not  her  disjiosition." 

"You  do  not  know  her  as  I  do,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
with  a  knowing  smile.  "  When  yoii  know  more  of  her  you 
will  be  better  able  to  judge." 


FOILED.  187 

''I  know  more  than  I  wish  to,  now,"  rejilied  Mrs.  Wal- 
lingford,  sadly. 

"  In  what  way  ? "  demanded  Mrs.  Graham,  turning 
sharply  upon  her. 

"  To  answer  that  Avonld  place  me  in  a  very  disagreeable 
position,"  said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  quietly.  "  I  have  no 
desire  to  deceive  you,  and  yet  if  I  told  you  all,  I  would  too 
forcibly  bring  to  your  mind  George  Canning's  words  relat- 
ing to  the  candid  friend.  *  JSTo,  Mrs.  Graham,  it  were  better 
that  we  allowed  the  matter  to  die  a  natural  death." 

Mrs.  Graham  was  in  doubt,  and  found  that  she  had  Ijeen 
foiled  by  the  very  frankness  that  permitted  no  dispute.  If 
she  would  only  give  me  an  opportunity  to  present  my  side 
of  the  case,  she  thought,  I  would  would  willingly  trust  to  its 
effect  upon  her. 

"Your  words,  Mrs.  Wallingford,  are  like  riddles,"  began 
Mrs.  Graham:  ''I  can  neither  affirm  nor  deny.  If  you 
were  to  speak  plainly,  you  might  do  me  a  kindness  and  at 
the  same  time  explain  any  misunderstanding  that  may  have 
occurred." 

''  If  I  thought  I  could  reconcile  you  and  Edith  I  would 
willingly  take  the  risk  of  being  misunderstood,"  replied 
Mrs.  Wallingford,  thrown  off  her  guard  for  the  moment  by 
Mrs.  Graham's  apparent  frankness. 

"With  myself  you  will  have  no  trouble,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  earnestly ;  for  I  would  be  only  too  well  pleased  to 
have  everything  made  pleasant  again,  and  pledge  you  my 
best  endeavors  to  accomplish  that  purpose." 

*  "  But  of  all  the  plagues,  good  heaven,  thy  Tvrath  can  send, 
Save,  save,  oh,  save  me  from  the  candid  friend  !  " 


188  FOILED. 

"I  first  heard  of  this  trouble  at  the  sewing  society/'' 
began  Mrs.  Wallingford,  "  and  was  much  surprised  to  find 
that  you  had  been  the  first  one  to  mention  it. " 

'^Ah  !  "  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  wondering  look,  '^that 
accounts  for  its  being  so  rapidl/  circulated.  And  who  first 
told  you  of  it," 

"Mrs.  Brandon,  I  believe." 

"I  am  surprised  at  my  own  foolishness,"  said  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, deprecatingly.  ''  I  knew  her  to  be  a  most  menda- 
cious gossip,  and  yet  I  was  foolish  enough  to  tell  her.  The 
history  of  it  was  simjDly  this  :  I  felt  so  lonesome  in  my 
great,  desolate  house,  that  I  determined  to  seek  a  change  of 
surroundings,  and  take  my  mind  from  off  my  sorrow.  I 
attended  the  meeting  of  the  sewing  society  for  this  sole  pur- 
pose. Naturally  our  conversation  turned  upon  Mr.  Gra- 
ham's death  and  the  settling  of  the  estate.  Some  of  the 
friends  had  heard  that  there  was  trouble,  and  had  imagined 
most  outlandish  things  as  having  already  occurred.  I  saw 
that  if  I  remained  silent  it  would  be  understood  as  confirm- 
ing these  rumors,  and  when  Mrs.  Brandon  asked  me  point 
blank  if  Edith  was  trying  to  break  her  father's  will,  I  con- 
cluded it  was  best  for  me  to  admit  it,  and  ask  her,  as  a 
friend,  to  keep  from  talking  of  it  to  others.  Tliis  I  did, 
and  unwillingly,  but  as  the  best  thing  to  do  under  the 
circumstances." 

''  I  remember,  now,  that  Mrs,  Adell  said  that  you  ad- 
mitted it  unwillingly,"  said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  ''  but  it  was 
very  unwise  to  do  so  at  all. " 

''I  see  that  it  was,  now,"  hastily  replied  Mrs.  Graham  ; 
"but  it  was  an  error  of  the  head  more  than  the  heart." 


FOILED.  189 

''Another  thing  that  surprised  me  was  that  the  same 
afternoon  Miss  Locke  called  upon  my  daughter,  and  told 
her  much  the  same  story  that  you  admitted  to  Mrs.  Bran- 
don. Under  these  circumstances,  Mrs.  Graham,  you  will 
excuse  me  for  thinking  that  you  intentionally  circulated 
these  stories  to  injure  Edith  in  the  eyes  of  her  friends." 

"I  do  not  wonder  that  you  should  have  thought  so,  Mrs. 
Wallingford,  but  Bertha's  action  was  entirely  unwarranted, 
and  I  can  only  account  for  it  by  remembering  that  Edith's 
attempt  to  break  her  father's  will  so  greatly  shocked  us  all 
that  for  some  time  it  was  the  chief  topic  of  conversation  in 
our  household." 

"I  do  not  think  we  need  discuss  that  point,  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham," replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  significantly;  "I  think 
we  both  understand  it  fully. " 

Mrs.  Graham  shot  a  quick,  inquiring  glance  at  Mrs. 
Wallingford,  whose  calm,  untroubled  face  gave  no  indica- 
tion of  a  hidden  meaning,  and  with  renewed  confidence  she 
said : 

"  I  am  so  mortified  that  this  should  have  taken  place  that 
I  sometimes  wish  I  were  dead.  I,  no  doubt,  have  made 
some  mistakes,  but  I  have  always  tried  to  be  just  in  all  my 
dealings  ;  and  I  was  informed  only  a  few  days  ago  that  a 
strict  reading  of  the  will  would  give  me  all  of  the  valuable 
land  that  surrounds  the  homestead,  but  I  declined  to  take 
it,  and  do  now,  and  I  have  told  Arthur  so,  for  I  know  that 
Mr.  Graham  intended  that  the  property  he  gave  me  should 
only  include  the  portion  upon  which  the  house  stands  ;  and 
I  will  be  well  pleased  to  get  that,  for  if  Edith  succeeds  in 
breaking  the  will  I  can  expect  nothing — " 


190  FOILED. 

''Mrs.  Graham/'  interrupted  Mrs.  Wallingford,  ''I  gave 
yon  warning  that  I  understood  this  matter  concerning  the 
breaking  of  the  will,  and  it  seems  that  you  did  not  under- 
stand it  as  I  intended  that  you  should.  Now,  in  order  that 
we  may  fully  understand  each  other,  I  will  tell  you  that 
Edith  jDOsitively  denies  any  act  or  intent  to  break  her 
father's  will." 

"  0,  she  has  done  that  from  the  first,"  replied  Mrs.  G-ra- 
ham,  scornfully. 

'•'  Her  denial,  Mrs.  Graham,  was  so  jjositive  as  to  impress 
me  with  its  truth,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  earnestly  ; 
"  but  in  order  that  I  might  not  be  mislead  by  it,  I  had  Mr. 
Wallingford  thoroughly  investigate  the  matter,  and  he 
found  that  the  records  of  the  court  confirmed  her  state- 
ments and  branded  yours  as  false.  Now,  Mrs.  Graham,  it 
may  be  that  I  do  you  an  injustice,  but  I  believe  that  you 
know  them  to  be  so,  and  have  intentionally  circulated  these 
rejDorts  against  Edith  in  order  that  you  might  alienate  her 
friends  from  her  by  their  confidence  in  your  integrity,  while 
Edith  proves  her  worthiness  by  showing  her  ability  to  do 
without  them.  Now,  Mrs.  Graham,  as  a  professor  of  the 
Christian  faith,  it  is  your  duty  to  do  all  in  your  power  to 
right  this  great  wrong  ;  and  if  you  prove  your  worth  by  so 
doing,  Jane  Wallingford  will  be  your  friend  ;  if  not,  I  must 
ask  you  to  never  enter  my  house  again." 

So  suddenly  had  this  avenging  avalanche  fallen  upon  her 
while  she  imagined  that  her  work  was  nearly  done,  that,  all 
unprepared,  Mrs.  Graham  found  herself  defenceless  and 
in  abject  terror  ;  the  room  grew  dark  about  her ;  and  Avlien 
Mrs.  Wallingford  ceased,  ''transfixed  they  sat  with  neither 


FOILED.  191 

speaking  to  the  other,  but  like  dumb  statues  stared  each  on 
other  and  looked  deathly  pale."  Her  equal  in  wealth  and 
station,  and  wielding  an  influence  that  made  her  envious, 
Mrs.  Graham  easily  realized  that  with  Mrs .  Wallingf  ord  she 
had  utterly  failed,  while  the  power  that  she  trusted  would 
aid  her  would  now  be  used  for  Edith's  vindication.  Quickly 
recovering  her  composure,  Mrs.  Graham  arose,  and  with  a 
stately  inclination  of  her  head,  was  about  to  retire,  when 
Mrs.  "Wallingf ord  extended  her  hand,  and,  all  unmindful 
of  herself,  said  : 

' '  If  I  have  spoken  harshly,  I  i^ray  you  forgive  me  ;  my 
very  earnestness  should  prove  my  friendship.  Will  this 
parting  be  only  for  a  time  ?" 

Mrs.  Graham's  cold  gray  eyes  shot  out  a  flash  of  deadly 
hatred  as  her  only  reply. 

'^  Home,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  hoarsely,  as  she  entered  her 
carriage  and  gave  way  to  her  bitter  thoughts. 

Mrs.  Wallingford,  with  much  apparent  exhaustion,  sought 
a  place  where,  uninterrupted,  she  could  review  Edith's 
case,  and  see  where  she  could  be  of  service. 

We  are,  thought  Mrs.  Wallingford,  too  often  the  mes- 
sengers of  these  designing  persons.  How  often  we  believe 
the  first  story  that  is  told,  and,  not  waiting  or  seeking  to 
know  its  truth,  are  by  its  very  falsity  aroused  to  hatred  of 
tlie  innocent  !  It  is  not  a  pleasing  retrospect  to  view  the 
many  times  we  fail  to  prove  the  slander  ere  we  believe  it 
true. 

It  was  not  long  afterward  that  Edith  was  favored  with  a 
visit  from  Mrs.  Wallingford,  who  said  : 

"  I  have  long  neglected  you,  Edith,  and  might  have  done 


192  FOILED. 

SO  for  a  longer  time  were  it  not  for  a  visit  I  received  from 
Mrs.  Graham.  But  in  the  meantime  I  have  improved  sev- 
eral opportunities  for  bringing  about  a  more  correct  under- 
standing of  the  true  condition  of  your  affairs." 

''  And  I  have  also  been  favored  with  a  call  from  Mrs. 
Graham,"  said  Edith,  ''and  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  just 
what  she  means  ;  for  when  I  talk  to  Arthur  or  you  I  feel 
that  she  has  done  wrong,  but  she  always  makes  me  believe 
that  I  have  disgraced  the  memory  of  my  father  and  been 
very  dishonorable  in  many  ways,  Avhile  there  is  not  a  doubt 
that  she  is  not  just  and  right  in  all  she  does." 

''Had  it  not  been  for  the  earnestness  with  which  you 
denied  Mrs.  Graham's  charges  against  you,  Edith,  I  would 
have  found  it  easy  to  have  believed  her ;  but  your  state- 
ments were  so  positive  and  earnest  that  Mr.  Wallingford 
decided  to  investigate  for  himself,  and  found  it  no  difficult 
matter  to  substantiate  all  you  said,  which  left  no  course 
for  us  but  to  endorse  your  actions  and  wish  you  success." 

"  You  cannot  imagine  how  much  good  it  does  me  to  hear 
you  say  so,"  replied  Edith,  her  heart  filled  with  gratitude. 

"It  was  for  the  jjurpose  of  strengthening  and  encourag- 
ing you  that  I  came  ;  and  I  must  congratulate  you,  Edith, 
that  Arthur  stands  so  firmly  for  your  defence,  for  it  is  not 
often  in  a  case  like  this  that  a  husband  will  fight  for  justice 
for  his  wife,  or,  if  he  begins  the  fight,  quickly  abandons  it 
on  the  first  intimation  that  his  actions  are  possibly  indeli- 
cate. " 

"Arthur  promised  to  cherish  and  protect  me,"  smilingly 
rei^lied  Edith,  "and  now  is  only  fulfilling  his  promise, 
lie  will  be  here  before  long,  and  you  must  wait  and  see 
him." 


FOILED.  193 

*'  I  think  I  will,  as  I  have  some  questions  that  I  wish  to 
ask  him.  But  does  not  Mrs.  Graham's  course  perplex  and 
worry  him,  Edith  ?" 

"It  worries  both  of  us,"  replied  Edith,  quickly  ;  "  but 
while  I  tremble  and  fear,  he  only  grows  firmer  and  more 
self-reliant.  At  first  I  feared  that  he  would  break  down 
and  allow  her  to  have  her  way  ;  he  was  very  downhearted 
and  fearful  that  all  our  friends  would  leave  us,  and  that  I 
would  not  be  willing  to  pay  the  penalty  that  Mrs.  Graham 
seemed  to  have  determined  to  force  upon  us  ;  but  when  he 
found  that  I  consented,  he  became  more  determined  than 
ever  before,  and  nov/  when  he  meets  her  he  is  so  cool  and 
collected  that  I  just  admire  his  bravery,  and  often  won- 
der what  I  would  have  done  if  it  had  not  been  for  him." 

"  Yours  was  a  love  match,  Edith,  and  no  doubt,"  re- 
plied Mrs.  Wallingford,  with  an  amused  smile  at  Edith's 
enthusiasm  in  regard  to  Arthur;  "but  your  feelings  da 
credit  to  your  womanly  heart." 

"  Since  I  saw  you  last  I  have  seen  all  your  predictions 
come  true  in  regard  to  our  old  friends  deserting  us,"  said 
Edith,  saddened  at  the  recollection. 

"Not  your  true  friends,  Edith,"  replied  Mrs.  Walling- 
ford, earnestly,  "  they  were  only  apparent  friends.  Those 
who  were  truly  your  friends  are  your  friends  yet  and  will 
remain  so  as  long  as  you  need  them,  and  they  are  much 
more  numerous  than  you  imagine.  The  great  number  who 
have  deserted  you  makes  you  feel  as  if  all  had  gone>  be- 
cause those  who  remain  are  so  few  as  compared  to  the 
whole  number ;  but  those  who  prove  themselves  friends  now 
are  worth  more  than  a  countless  host  of  untried  friends." 

13 


lOi  FOILED. 

"I  feel  that  to  be  true,"  replied  Edith,  thoughtfully; 
"  but  some  that  have  turned  against  me  I  find  it  hard  to 
give  up.  Miss  Ashton  and  I  have  been  friends  since  we 
were  children,  and  now  she  seems  only  too  anxious  to  show 
her  dislike  for  me." 

''Can  it  be  that  Miss  Ashton  has  been  turned  against 
jou  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Wallingford,  earnestly. 

"Yes,  she  is  displeased  at  something,  and  I  have  no 
knowledge  of  ever  having  said  or  done  anything  by  which 
she  could  be  offended,  and  yet  she  is." 

"  It  must  be  the  same  influence  that  has  affected  the 
others," said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  with  a  troubled  sigh  ;  "but 
I  am  surprised  at  ■  her  willingness  to  believe  that  one  side 
of  the  story  contains  all  the  truth,  when  she  was  such  a 
firm  friend  of  yours.  I  would  advise  you  to  see  her,  Edith, 
and  ask  for  an  explanation." 

"I  have  thought  of  doing  so,"  replied  Edith,  thought- 
fully, "but  it  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  if  any  one  was 
i,o  speak  ill  of  a  friend  to  me  that  I  should  not  believe 
them,  and  that  it  would  be  my  duty  to  inform  them  of 
their  danger." 

^'That  is  the  Avisest  course,  Edith,  but  it  is  not  the 
way  of  the  world.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is,  neverthe- 
less, true  that  we  are  all  more  or  less  liable  to  be  misled  by 
false  reports,  and  often  do  not  seek  to  know  their  truth 
before  making  our  decision.  Friend  parts  from  friend, 
father  from  son,  and  wife  from  husband,  for  no  better  reason 
than  that  some  one  has  told  them  a  plausible  falsehood 
concerning  friend,  son,  or  husband  ;  and  in  all  the  world  I 
know  of  only  one  affectioiuitc  tie  that  slander  cannot  break 


FOILED.  195 

— no  fountain  of  deep,  strong,  deathless  love  save  that 
within  a  mother's  heart.  Against  this,  dark  calumny  beats 
in  vain.  Vice,  dissipation  and  death  may  enter,  but  that 
love  never  wavers  or  dies.  All  else  is  at  the  mercy  of  de- 
signing knaves,  to  whom  the  best  of  friends  will  yield." 

"  I  know  only  too  well  that  what  you  say  is  true,"  said 
Edith,  sadly,  "  but  I  find  it  hard  to  believe,  even  though  I 
have  proved  it.  The  sanctity  of  my  home  is  not  proof 
against  it,  and  in  this  case  even  the  church  is  used  as  a 
weapon  against  me,  so  much  so  that  we  no  longer  attend 
there  and  have  found  our  way  into  other  places." 

"  I  was  afraid  that  such  might  be  the  result,"  said  Mrs. 
Wallingford,  anxiously,  "  but  I  cannot  wonder  that  you 
find  it  disagreeable  to  attend  there  under  these  circum- 
stances, which  only  proves  that  evil  influences  have  greater 
power  than  good." 

''I  find  it  so,"  replied  Edith,  as  she  arose  to  meet  Arthur 
as  he  entered. 

"  Holding  a  council  of  war  ?"  inquired  Arthur,  with  a 
pleasant  smile.  "  Your  faces  look  solemn  enough  to  war- 
rant the  suspicion  that  you  have  been  talking  of  the 
widow." 

"  We  plead  guilty,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  pleas- 
antly. 

•^And  how  do  you  do  ?"  said  Arthur,  extending  his 
hand.  "We  feel  honored  in  your  presence,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances." 

"  When  I  see  the  quiet,  uncomplaining  demeanor  of 
yourself  and  wife  under  such  trying  circumstances  as  these, 
I  feel  that  I  am  honored  more  than  you,"  replied  Mrs. 
Wallingford,  graciously. 


196  FOILED. 

"You  see  us  in  our  own  most  amiable  mood,  Mrs.  Wal- 
lingford,"  replied  Arthur,  laughing;  "but  I  am  afraid 
that  if  you  knew  of  all  our  bitter  complainings  against 
Mrs.  Graham^s  actions  you  would  think  that  we  were  any- 
thing but  amiable." 

"If  in  your  cooler  moments  you  can  remember  your 
repinings  without  remorse,  I  think  you  can  trust  to  their 
being  right,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford  quietly. 

"  There  is  where  I  am  afraid  my  conscience  does  not  do 
its  duty,"  replied  Arthur,  laughing,  "for  I  can  never  think 
of  Mrs.  Graham's  actions  toward  Edith,  and  that  she  is 
the  real  robber,  without  becoming  almost  furious." 

"That  reminds  me,"  said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  "that 
Mrs.  Graham  said  she  had  no  desire  to  take  more  than  she 
was  entitled  to,  and  that  while  a  strict  reading  of  the  will 
would  give  her  all  the  land  surrounding  the  homestead,  she 
had  told  you  that  she  would  not  accept  of  it,  as  she  knew 
it  was  not  her  husband's  intention  to  give  her  more  than 
the  portion  upon  which  the  house  stands.  Can  you  explain 
this  ?  For  I  must  admit  that  it  has  shaken  my  confidence 
in  the  correctness  of  my  judgment  of  her." 

"When  she  told  me  that  pretty  little  story,"  said  Arthur, 
smiling  at  the  recollection,  "I  laughed  at  her,  and  in  reply 
assured  her  that  we  were  perfectly  willing  that  she  should 
take  all  of  it,  for  the  will  provided  that  if  she  did  take 
it  and  it  should  exceed  more  than  her  share  she  must  pay 
the  difference  in  cash." 

"0,  I  see,"  said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  laughing.  "So  your 
offer  to  her  was  not  so  generous,  after  all." 

"Not  more  so  than  hers  to  give  up  something  which  if 


FOILED.  197 

she  kept  she  would  have  to  pay  for,"  said  Arthur,  laugh- 
ingly. '"  But  for  all  that,  I  dare  say  she  is  using  this 
plausible  story  with  telling  effect  whenever  she  has  the 
ojjportunity." 

''I  am  afraid  she  is,  Arthur.  But  the  strangest  part  of 
the  whole  matter  is  that  the  law  allows  her  to  take  the 
widow's  award  in  excess  of  what  the  will  gives  her  ;  and 
yet  Mr.  Wallingford  says  it  does,  and  that  though  the  law 
permits  it,  it  is  a  great  injustice." 

"I  know  it  is  unjust,  and  it  seems  to  be  law,"  replied 
Arthur,  with  clouded  brow,  "but  I  am  not  yet  prepared  to 
give  it  up.  I  am  earnestly  seeking  for  some  way  out  of  the 
difficulty,  but  there  seems  to  be  but  little  ho^e,  for  every 
one  I  speak  to  about  it  laughs  at  my  endeavors  and  assures 
me  that  they  will  all  be  in  vain." 

"  I  hope  you  will  find  it,  Arthur,  but  Mr.  Wallingford 
assui'es  me  you  have  no  hope  of  so  doing." 

"  It  looks  that  way  now,  Mrs.  Wallingford,  but  necessity 
is  the  mother  of  invention,  and  I  shall  keep  at  it  until  I 
succeed  or  utterly  fail." 

"  There  will  be  none  who  will  rejoice  more  at  your  suc- 
cess than  the  Wallingford's,"  said  that  lady,  rising.  ''And 
now,  Edith,  I  shall  not  be  so  long  in  coming  again,  and  in 
the  meantime  remember  us  as  true  friends,  ready  to  advise 
or  lielp." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MY    HUSBAND    WAS    A    MISEE. 

**I  sent  for  you,"  began  Mr.  Blood,  as  Arthur  entered 
bis  office,  "to  tell  you  that  the  appraisers  will  make  their 
report  in  a  few  days  and  that  I  have  reason  to  believe  tliat 
they  intend  to  give  the  widow  a  very  large  amount  as  her 
award.  I  can  see  that  this  is  what  has  been  determined 
upon  by  Mr.  Skinner,  and  I  want  to  knov/  what  you  intend 
to  do." 

"What  can  we  do  ?"  inquired  Arthur,  doubtfully. 

"We  might  try  to  have  the  award  reduced,"  replied  Mr. 
Blood,  evidently  doubtful  of  success,  "  but  I  fear  we  would 
have  little  hope  of  doing  so,  as  the  court  is  almost  certain 
to  approve  the  report  of  the  appraisers." 

*'And  does  the  court  do  this  regardless  of  the  amount  ?" 
inquired  Arthur,  with  much  surprise. 

"  Yes,  almost  always,"  replied  Mr.  Blood.  "You  see, 
the  court  has  no  way  of  knowing  the  private  affairs  of  Mr. 
Graham,  and  must  dejaend  entirely  on  the  judgment  of  the 
appraisers,  and  it  takes  the  strongest  kind  of  proof  to  make 
the  court  set  their  report  aside. " 

"What  kind  of  proof  would  you  regard  as  strong?" 
inquired  Arthur,  in  perplexity. 

198 


FOILED.  199 

"The  strongest  proof  would  be  Mr.  Graham^s  statement 
of  how  much  it  cost  him  each  year  to  pay  his  household 
expenses  ;  but  as  he  is  not  alive,  of  course  this  would  be 
inipossible." 

*'  But  his  books  would  do  equally  well,  would  they  not  ?  " 
inquired  Arthur  eagerly. 

"  Yes — if  they  will  show  all  that  he  received  and  spent," 
replied  Mr.  Blood,  cautiously. 

"They  were  very  carefully  kept,"  replied  Arthur,  earn- 
estly, "and  I  could  tell  at  a  glance  what  he  received  and 
what  he  spent  during  any  of  the  recent  months  of  his  life. " 

"If  you  can  do  that,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  excitedly,  "we 
can  defeat  them  as  sure  as  can  be." 

"Well,  I  can,"  replied  Arthur,  confidently. 

"Then  I  shall  serve  them  with  notice  to  produce  the 
books,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  determinedly. 

Thus  Mr.  Blood  was  carefully  laying  his  plans  to  defeat 
the  wily  scheming  of  this  unscrupulous  woman  and  her 
cunning  lawyer ;  but  he  found  that  a  wily  lawyer  and  a 
widow's  tears  were  no  small  obstacles  in  his  way.  And 
Arthur,  even  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Blood,  was  by  no  means 
sure  of  success,  as  at  the  appointed  time  he  and  Edith 
entered  the  court  room  and  seated  themselves  by  their  attor- 
ney's side. 

Opposite  them  sat  Mr.  Skinner,  busily  engaged  in  arrang- 
ing his  papers,  while  near  him,  and  surrounded  by  a  circle 
of  admiring  friends,  sat  Mrs.  Graham  and  uncle  Webster. 

"Your  Honor,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  rising  from  his  seat, 
"we  would  be  pleased  to  have  your  decision  on  the  right  of 
the  widow  to  take  this  award.     It  is  simply  a  question  of 


300  FOILED. 

law  and  requires  no  argument ;  but  I  desire  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  fact  that  this  will  contains  a  clause  by 
which  the  testator  hoped  and  intended  to  protect  his  estate 
from  just  such  claims  as  this." 

"The  law  is  very  plain  on  that  point,"  replied  Judge 
Winters,  "and  no  will  can  prevent  a  widow  from  taking 
her  award  if  she  desires  it,  though  wills  are  often  drawn 
with  that  intent,  and  this  seems  to  be  one  of  that  class  ; 
but  it  has  no  binding  force  upon  the  widow  unless  she 
desires  to  abide  by  it ;  that  she  does  not,  is  evidenced  by 
her  signature  to  this  claim  for  her  award." 

"First  ' blood ^  for  our  side,"  whispered  Mr.  Skinner  to 
his  confrere,  while  Mrs.  Graham  complacently  smoothed 
the  folds  of  her  cloak  and  with  a  knowing  smile  turned  to 
Webster  and  whispered:  "Even  the  Judge  seems  to  be 
against  them." 

Webster  was  evidently  greatly  pleased  at  the  decision  i.f 
the  court,  as  well  as  flattered  by  Mrs.  Graham^s  attentions, 
and  chuckled  with  ill-concealed  enjoyment. 

"If  that  is  your  decision  we  must  submit,"  said  Mr. 
Blood,  as  he  seated  himself  and  awaited  further  develop- 
ments. 

"Are  the  appraisers  ready  with  their  report  ?"  inquired 
Judge  Winters. 

"They  are,  your  Honor,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  handing 
him  the  paper. 

"  Let  the  attorney  for  the  daughter  see  it." 

Mr.  Skinner  tossed  the  paper  to  Mr.  Blood  and  took  his 
seat. 

Mr.  Blood  waited   but  a  moment :  its  contents  were  n-o 


FOILED.  201 

surprise  to  him,  and  after  a  hasty  glance  at  the  report  he 
was  ready  for  the  contest. 

"  My  understanding  is,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  as  he  slowly 
arose,  "that  this  award  is  for  one  year's  support  of  the 
widow.     Am  I  correct  in  that  understanding?" 

"Yes,  for  one  year,"  replied  Judge  Winters  ;  "  to  sup- 
port the  widow  one  year  in  the  same  condition  as  at  the 
time  of  her  husband's  death." 

"Then,  your  Honor,  we  object  to  the  amount  of  this 
award,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  decisively.  "  It  is  excessive  and 
therefore  very  unjust  to  the  others  interested  in  the  estate, 
and,  as  you  can  see  by  these  books  of  account  kept  by  Mr. 
Graham,  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  him  to  have  spent 
as  much  for  the  whole  family  as  the  widow  now  demands 
for  her  support  alone.  Here  are  the  books,  and  their  foot- 
ings show  for  themselves.  Farther  than  this,  I  desire  to 
call  your  attention  to  estates  far  more  valuable  than  this,  in 
which  the  amount  of  the  widow's  award  has  never  exceeded 
one-half  of  this  claim,  and  I  challenge  the  other  side  to 
produce  a  case  where  the  amount  has  ever  been  so  large  ; 
and  if  you  will  take  the  expenses  for  insurance,  taxes,  etc., 
from  the  amount  of  Mr.  Graham's  income  as  shown  by 
these  books,  you  can  more  readily  understand  the  injustice 
of  allowing  this  claim." 

"  Let  me  see  the  books,"  said  Judge  Winters. 

"  I  have  but  little  to  say,"  began  Mr.  Skinner,  confi- 
dently, "  but  I  desire  to  call  the  attention  of  the  court  to 
the  fact  that  the  amount  of  this  award  has  been  decided 
upon  by  men  well  known  in  the  business  community,  and 
men  above  reproach  or  suspicion  of  wrong  doing.     They 


202  FOILED. 

are  better  acquainted  with  the  habits  and  life  of  the  widow's 
former  husband  than  we  can  possibly  be,  therefore  I  main- 
tain that  the  amount  of  this  award  is  not  excessive,  but  per- 
fectly just  and  fair,  and  their  report  should  be  accepted  and 
confirmed  by  the  court." 

''How  do  you  reconcile  your  theories  with  these  books  of 
account  ?"  inquired  Judge  Winters. 

''0,  they  may  have  been  fixed,"  sneeringly  replied  Mr. 
Skinner. 

"  The  gentleman  forgets  that  until  he  brought  them  into 
court  he  had  full  possession  of  them,"  quietly  interposed 
Mr.  Blood. 

"  The  best  way  to  decide  the  matter  will  be  to  place  the 
widow  on  the  stand,"  said  Judge  Winters.  "  Let  her  be 
sworn." 

This  was  an  unexpected  turn  of  affairs,  and  not  entirely 
acceptable  to  the  now  thoroughly  aroused  Mrs.  Graham. 

"  How  many  persons  are  there  in  your  family  ?"  began 
Judge  Winters. 

"  Five,"  rejDlied  Mrs.  Graham,  curtly. 

"Who  are  they  ?" 

"  Two  house  servants,  one  coachman.  Miss  Locke  and 
myself." 

"  All  dependent  upon  you  for  their  support  ?" 

"They  are." 

"How  many  liorses  does  the  coachman  have  in  his 
charge  ?" 

"Two." 

"  How  much  did  it  cost  Mr.  Graham  the  last  year  for  his 
household  expenses  ?" 


FOILED.  203 

Mrs.  Graham  was  about  to  answer,  when,  like  a  flash, 
the  full  force  and  bearing  of  the  question  became  evident. 
It  was  a  trying  time  ;  for  if  she  said  too  much,  she  could 
not  meet  the  evidence  of  the  books  ;  if  she  said  less,  her 
award  would  be  reduced.  She  looked  at  Webster  and  her 
attorney  with  mute  appeals  for  aid,  but  finding  that  they 
were  powerless  to  aid  her,  slie  determined,  as  a  last  resort, 
to  parry  the  blow  as  best  she  could,  and  answered : 

'^  I  cannot  say,  exactly." 

"  Then  tell  us  as  nearly  as  you  can,^'  said  Judge  Winters, 
quietly. 

"  I  cannot  say  without  thinking  over  it  some  considerable 
time,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  at  a  loss  for  an  answer. 

"We  will  wait,"  dryly  remarked  Judge  Winters,  as  he 
leaned  back  in  his  chair. 

Mrs.  Graham  moved  uneasily  from  side  to  side,  her  hands 
nervously  opening  and  closing  upon  vacancy,  while  her 
mind  was  actively  engaged  in  trying  to  solve  the  difficult 
problem.     At  last,  as  if  by  a  desperate  effort,  she  answered: 

"I  suppose  about  ten  thousand  dollars." 

"How,  then,  do  you  account  for  the  footings  of  these 
books  ?"  inquired  Judge  Winters. 

"I  had  a  separate  income  of  my  own,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  haughtily,  "which  I  contributed  to  the  general 
fund." 

It  was  now  Arthur's  turn  to  be  surprised,  and  when  he 
remembered  that  she  was  only  a  poor  girl  when  Mr.  Gra- 
ham married  her,  the  conviction  came  over  him  that  in  her 
desperation  she  had  committed  willful  perjury  in  order  to 
escape  from  sure  defeat.   Turning  to  Edith  with  an  inquiring 


204  FOILED. 

look,  he  only  saw  his  own  blank  amazement  reflected 
in  her  face,  and  that  she  was  likewise  at  a  loss  to  under- 
stand Mrs.  Graham's  claim  of  separate  income. 

It  was  evident  that  Judge  Winters  was  now  satisfied  that 
the  discrepancy  could  thus  be  accounted  for  and  the  amount 
of  the  award  must  stand,  when  Arthur  leaned  forward  and 
whispered  in  Mr.  Blood's  ear: 

''Ask  her  where  she  obtained  it." 

"  Your  Honor,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  "will  you  ask  the  wit- 
ness where  and  how  she  obtained  this  income  ?  She  has 
aroused  our  curiosity." 

"You  may  tell  us,  if  you  please,  where  and  how  you  ob- 
tained this  income,"  said  Judge  Winters,  addressing  Mrs. 
Graham. 

"  I  object !  I  object  !"  shouted  Mr.  Skinner,  who  greatly 
feared  the  result. 

"The  question  is  a  proper  one,  and  she  must  answer  it," 
replied  Judge  Winters,  decisively. 

"It  was  money  that  I  obtained  from  Miss  Locke  for, 
board,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  sullenly. 

"  0  !"  significantly  remarked  the  now  irate  judge. 
"  And  who  furnished  the  money  to  supply  the  table  ?" 

"Mr.  Graham." 

"No  separate  income,"  sententiously  remarked  Judge 
Winters,   "  and  the  award  will  be  reduced  one-half." 

"The  'blood'  is  not  of  as  good  quality  this  time — eh, 
Mr.  Skinner  ?" 

Mr.  Skinner's  only  reply  was  a  threatening  look  at  the 
cause  of  his  defeat. 

"  There  is  one  other  matter  we  desire  to  have  settled," 


FOILED.  205 

continued  Mr.  Blood,  "  and  that  is  the  appraisement  of 
the  personal  property.  You  have  seen  the  despenae  at- 
tempts of  this  woman  to  sustain  the  appraisement  of  her 
award,  and  in  all  probability  will  see  a  similar  attempt  on 
her  part  to  have  this  appraisement  of  the  personal  property 
sustained.  After  studying  the  case  thoroughly,  in  order 
that  I  might  arrive  at  a  just  conclusion,  I  now  feel  justified 
in  branding  this  appraisement  as  another  attempt  to  rob 
this  estate.  You  have  this  woman's  sworn  statement  that 
it  cost  her  husband  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  living 
exj^cnscs  ;  that  three  servants  were  necessary  for  the  carry- 
ing on  of  the  style  and  splendor  of  her  home  ;  and  yet,  if 
we  are  to  believe  the  report  of  the  appraisers,  this  family, 
living  in  all  this  grandeur,  in  the  most  fashionable  part  of 
this  city,  in  one  of  the  finest  houses  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  spending  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  provisions, 
slept  upon  beds  of  straw,  walked  upon  carpets  worth  only 
thirty-five  cents  a  yard,  ran  the  risk  of  being  late  to  meals 
by  depending  upon  five  dollar  watches,  wore  diamond  shirt 
studs  worth  but  one  dollar  and  a  half  for  a  set  of  three, 
while  all  that  this  elegant  mansion  contained,  they  say,  is 
worth  less  that  five  hundred  dollars  ;  and  if  in  your  im- 
agination you  will  follow  me  as  I  enter  the  stables,  you 
will  be  astonished  to  find  their  coachman  presiding  over 
horses  valued  at  only  fifty  dollars,  upon  which  he  places 
only  five  dollars  worth  of  harness,  and  then  hitches 
them  to  a  seventy-five  dollar  coupe  or  a  five  dollar  sleigh, 
as  best  suits  the  season.  Thus  we  are  led  to  believe  that 
this  family,  after  spending  ten  thousand  dollars  in  eating 
and  drinking,  lived  in  abject  squalor  and  risked  their  lives 


206  FOILED. 

in  conveyances  that  were  so  old  and  poor  as  to  be  unsafe. 
But  as  strange  as  all  this  may  seem,  it  must  be  true,  for 
these  appraisers  say  so  ;  and  we  have  the  word  of  the  emi- 
nent counsel  representing  the  other  side  that  they  are  wise 
and  just  men.  This  I  deny.  They  cannot  be  wise  when 
they  decide  that  this  property,  which  we  all  know  is  worth 
thousands  of  dollars,  is  worth  less  than  five  hundred  ;  they 
cannot  be  just  men  when  they  set  this  low  valuation  upon 
this  property,  well  knowing  that  the  widow  will  take  all  of 
it,  and  at  these  ruinous  prices,  and  thereby  defraud  the 
others  of  their  share.  There  is  but  one  way  in  which  we 
can  account  for  their  actions,  and  that  is,  that  they  have 
not  been  proof  against  the  winsome  smiles  and  captivating 
glances  of  this  designing  woman.  The  picture  I  have 
drawn  might  well  be  the  cause  of  levity  were  it  not  that  it 
too  plainly  shows  this  widow's  desire  to  defraud  the  daugh- 
ter as  well  as  all  the  others  interested  in  this  estate.  That 
this  is  true,  is  proven  by  this  other  document  which  I  hold 
in  my  hand,  wherein  the  widow  demands  that  all  this  prop- 
erty be  set  off  to  her  at  these  prices  and  leave  the  daughter 
with  empty  hands,  who,  finding  that  such  was  likely  to  be 
the  case,  sought  this  woman  and  begged  for  some  trifling 
memento  by  which  to  remember  her  dead  mother's  home, 
only  to  have  her  request  denied,  even  though  the  daughter 
offered  thrice  the  price  the  widow  pays.  In  the  liglit  of 
these  revelations,  this  appraisement  amounts  to  more  than 
an  injustice — it  is  a  crime  !  And  if  your  honor  decides  that 
we  have  shown  sufficient  reason  for  setting  aside  this  ap- 
praisement, we  will  show  that  Webster  Graham,  acting  as 
an  executor,  was  present  at  the  time  this  appraisement  was 


FOILED.  207 

made,  and,  as  unaccountable  as  it  may  seem,  did  in  many 
cases  induce  these  appraisers  to  lower  their  valuation,  which 
they  the  more  readily  consented  to  do  as  they  considered 
him  to  be  more  interested  in  advancing  rather  than  unjustly 
lowering  their  valuation.  If,  then,  we  take  the  absurdities 
as  I  have  outlined  them — the  acts  of  Webster  Graham  and 
the  injustice  to  the  daughter — we  have  good  and  sufiBcient 
reason  to  ask  that  this  appraisement  be  set  aside  and  a  new 
appraisement  be  ordered. " 

Mrs.  Graham  was  now  livid  with  rage,  and  darkly 
scowled  upon  Arthur  and  Edith,  while  Webster  writhed 
under  the  lashings  of  Mr.  Blood. 

"  Your  Honor,  we  should  like  to  put  Webster  Graliam 
upon  the  stand,"  continued  Mr.  Blood. 

*'  Let  him  be  sworn,"  was  Judge  Winters'  only  reply. 

As  Webster  stood  with  uplifted  hand  while  he  took  the 
oath,  it  was  plain  to  see  that  he  was  not  a  willing  sacrifice. 

"  Were  you  present  when  this  appraisement  was  made  ?'" 
asked  Mr.  Blood. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  was,"  replied  Webster,  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  Did  you  suggest  to  the  appraisers  that  the  amounts 
agreed  upon  by  them  were  too  high  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  did,  because — " 

'■' ]S"ever  mind  the  because,"  interrupted  Mr.  Blood. 
''  Did  they  lower  the  prices  when  you  suggested  it  ?" 

''  In  most  cases." 

"  Could  you  furnish  this  house  in  its  present  condition 
for  five  hundred  dollars  ?" 

"No,  because — " 

"■  Never   mind  why,"    quickly  interposed   Mr.    Blood. 


208  FOILED. 

"  Could  you  for  doubfe  this  sum  ?" 

''I  think  not,"  replied  Webster,  reluctantly. 

"That's  all.  Now,  your  Honor/'  continued  Mr.  Blood, 
"  we  desire  that  Mrs.  Graham  take  the  stand." 

"Let  Mrs.  Graham  take  the  witness  stand,"  said  Judge 
Winters,  brusquely. 

"  You  lived  in  a  very  aristocratic  neighborhood,  did  you 
not,  Mrs.  Graham  ?"  began  Mr.  Blood. 

"I  suppose  so,"  was  her  curt  reply. 

"You  went  in  the  best  society,  did  you  not  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  haughtily. 

"  Your  house  was  elegantly  furnished,  was  it  not  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  it  was  not." 

"'  Well,  we  may  differ  as  to  the  meaning  of  words,"  said 
Mr.  Blood,  with  a  quizzical  smile,  "  but  your  house  was  as 
well  furnished  as  your  neighbors,  was  it  not  ?" 

"No,  sir;  it  was  not,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  determin- 
edly. 

"  Could  you  buy  what  your  house  contained  for  five  hun- 
dred dollars  ?" 

"I  think  not." 

"  Could  you  for  double  that  ?" 

"I  cannot  say." 

"  Are  you  able  to  account  for  the  low  valuation  of  this 
personal  property  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Blood,  with  a  searching 
glance  at  tlie  witness. 

"  I  can  only  say  that  our  house  was  not  furnished  as  well 
as  it  should  have  been,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  bitterly, 
"and  I  have  often  been  ashamed  of  its  shabby  appearance 
when  friends  were  visitins:  us." 


FOILED.  209 

''Was  this  always  its  condition^  or  was  it  so  for  only  a 
short  time  ?" 

''Almost  always,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  sigh. 

"  Why  was  this  ?  Why  was  it  not  in  keeping  with  your 
surroundings  ?''  inquired  Mr.  Blood,  with  well-feigned 
surprise. 

"Mr.  Graham  was  not  so  disposed,"  replied  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, impatiently. 

"  Rather  miserly,  eh  ?"  queried  Mr.  Blood,  encourag- 
ingly. 

"  Well — yes,  if  it  must  be  made  known,"'  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  with  apparent  reluctance. 

"  Is  it  not  a  fact  that  he  spent  several  thousand  dollars 
in  renewing  and  furnishing  the  house  only  a  few  months 
before  he  died  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Blood,  indignantly. 

"  He  did  some  repairing,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  reluc- 
tantly. 

"  Bought  new  carpets  and  furniture,  did  he  not  ?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  You  would  hardly  call  that  miserly,  would  you  ?" 

"Not  that  particular  act," 

"  Mrs.  Graham,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  sternly,  "  you  have 
made  the  statement  under  oath  that  your  husband  spent 
ten  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  living  expenses  ;  if,  now, 
as  you  have  just  stated,  he  was  a  miser,  how  do  you  recon- 
cile these  statements  ?" 

"I  am  not  anxious  to  argue  the  case,"  replied  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, tartly. 

"  No  !  "  said  Mr.  Blood,  as  like  a  flash  he  turned  upon 
her  his  eyes  blazing  with  indignation,  "but  you  were  so 

14 


210  FOILED. 

anxious  to  succeed  that  you  forgot  what  you  were  before 
your  marriage,  and  consented  to  insult  your  husband's 
memory  by  declaring  him  to  be  a  miser." 

"I  object  !  I  object  !"  shouted  Mr.  Skinner,  "The  wit- 
ness is  entitled  to  protection  from  the  court  against  such 
insults." 

''I  am  done,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  as  he  complacently 
waited  for  the  witness  to  retire. 

Mr.  Blood^s  well-merited  rebuke  only  the  more  firmly 
settled  Mrs.  G-raham's  friends  in  their  decision  that  Edith 
was  entirely  at  fault  and  responsible  for  this  outrageous 
treatment,  as  they  were  j^leased  to  call  the  actions  of  Mr. 
Blood,  and  the  deprecating  looks  that  they  turned  upon 
Edith  as  she  sat  near  them  only  tended  to  make  her  posi- 
tion the  more  uncomfortable. 

"  Your  Honor,  this  is  an  outrage  that  should  receive 
the  attention  of  the  court,"  began  Mr.  Skinner,  as  Mrs. 
Graham  left  the  stand;  "^  and  as  a  warning  I  trust  it 
will  not  go  without  its  just  punishment.  This  lady  is  en- 
titled to  protection  at  your  hands." 

*'It  is  a  well  known  principle  in  law,"  began  Mr.  Blood, 
dryly,  ''that  they  who  demand  justice  must  first  be  just ; 
and  if  this  case  does  not  show  that  they  do  not  wish  to  be 
just,  it  shows  nothing.  I  will  not  take  the  responsibility 
of  saying  wdio  is  responsible,  the  attorney  rejiresenting 
the  other  side  may  do  that ;  but  the  fact  is  plain  that  this 
whole  proceeding  to-day  as  carried  out  by  them  is  a  most 
dishonorable  attempt  at  robbery  and  one  that  does  full 
credit  to  the  well-known  reputation  of  the  attorney  for  the 
executors  ;  and  for  him  to  now  make  these  loud  calls  for  pro- 


FOILED.  211 

tection,  when  he  finds  his  plans  are  falling  to  the  ground,  is 
too  great  a  travesty  upon  justice  to  merit  the  serious  con- 
sideration of  the  court/' 

''  It  is  always  the  duty  of  a  good  judge  to  remove  the 
cause  of  litigation,"  said  Judge  Winters,  Avithout  noticing 
the  wrangle  between  the  attorneys,  "and  if  the  parties  in- 
terested can  agree  and  induce  the  appraisers  to  bring  in  a 
report  awarding  one-half  the  former  amount  for  the  widow's 
award,  and  raise  the  valuation  of  the  personal  property  to 
double  the  former  amount,  it  will  be  approved  by  the  court. 
If  this  is  not  done,  new  appraisers  will  have  to  be  appointed 
and  the  work  done  over,  by  which  the  expense  will  be  greatly 
increased." 

"  That  is  satisfactory  to  us,  Mr.  Blood,"  whispered 
Arthur. 

"  It  is  a  big  steal  yet,"  replied  Mr.  Blood. 

"1  know  it  is,"  said  Arthur,  "but  we  gained  our  point 
and  settled  the  question  of  who  was  right ;  beside  which, 
the  excitement  has  made  Edith  very  tired." 

"We  are  satisfied,"  said  Mr.  BU)od,  rising  to  his  feet. 

"  We  will  consent  to  that,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  after  he 
had  consulted  with  Mrs.  Graham. 

"  Call  the  next  case,"  was  Judge  Winter's  only  reply. 

As  Edith  and  Arthur  started  to  leave,  Mrs.  Graham 
arose,  and,  standing  directly  in  their  path,  scowled  darkly 
at  them  as  they  passed. 

"What  makes  you  tremble  so.  Edith?  "  inquired  Arthur, 
as  they  reached  the  door. 

"  I  always  do  in  her  presence,"  replied  Edith,  with  a 
shudder.  "  Did  you  see  the  way  she  looked  at  me  ?  I  was 
almost  certain  she  intended  to  C    -ue  some  injury." 


212  FOILED. 

"  She  would  not  dare  do  that,  Edith,  but  her  eyes  plainly 
showed  the  hatred  she  felt,  for  they  fairly  blazed  as  we 
passed  her." 

*'  I  know  how  they  looked,"  said  Edith,  trembling  at 
the  thought ;  "  I  can  see  them  yet." 

"  She  is  foolish  to  show  so  jolainly  that  she  feels  her  de- 
feat," said  Arthur,  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction. 

"But  she  gets  her  award/' replied  Edith,  with  a  ques- 
tioning look  at  Arthur. 

"  Yes,  Edith,  there  seems  to  be  no  help  for  that  ;  but 
we  reduced  it  one-half,  and  I  guess  she  begins  to  feel  that 
she  is  accountable  to  more  than  'her  God  and  the  judge.'" 

"  Your  plausible  theories  did  not  stand  the  test,  Mr. 
Skinner,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  bitterly,  when  she  was  again 
seated  in  his  oflBce.  "  You  gave  me  to  understand  that  if 
we  had  these  appraisers  appointed  I, should  get  so  large  an 
award  as  to  satisfy  me.  They  were  appointed,  but  you 
failed  me  at  the  most  vital  point." 

"I  had  not  counted  upon  such  strong  opposition  from 
them,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  uneasily,  "  and  had  every  as- 
surance in  the  world  that  we  were  safe  ;  for  it  does  not  occur 
once  in  an  age  that  Judge  Winters  will  set  aside  an  apprais- 
er's report,  and  it  takes  the  strongest  evidence  that  can  be 
produced  to  make  him  do  so.  Looking  at  it  in  that  light, 
you  can  hardly  censure  me  for  believing  that  we  were 
secure." 

"But  you  gave  me  positive  assurances  that  no  efforts  on 
Edith's  part  could  cause  us  trouble  or  defeat  our  plans," 
persisted  Mrs.  Graham.  "This  has  not  proven  true — 
why  ?"      . 


FOILED.  213 

Mr.  Skinner  found  his  position  still  less  pleasant  than 
when  he  was  in  court,  and  did  not  relish  the  matter  of  fact 
questions  which  Mrs.  Graham  was  placing  before  him. 

"  You  may  more  readily  understand  the  difficulties  I  had 
to  contend  with,"  continued  Mr.  Skinner,  ''when  I  tell 
you  that  there  was  but  one  point  at  which  the  amount  of 
this  award  could  have  been  successfully  attacked,  and  that 
was  the  very  point  upon  which  they  bore  with  such  crush- 
ing weight.  The  judge  would  not  have  listened  for  a 
moment  to  any  theories  that  it  cost  your  family  no  more 
to  live  than  that  of  others  equally  wealthy,  and,  as  I  have 
said,  there  was  but  one  point  and  one  way.  This  they  used 
in  a  masterly  manner  ;  and  when  they  joroduced  the  books 
to  show  that  Mr.  Graham  could  not  and  did  not  expend 
that  amount  for  his  whole  family,  it  left  no  other  course 
for  the  judge  but  to  reduce  the  award.  Arguments  against 
so  doing  could  not  be  made,  and  would  have  been  useless 
had  they  been.  Mr.  Blood  did  not  get  these  facts  together, 
it  was  Arthur ;  for  he  was  the  only  one  who  could  have 
known  about  Mr.  Graham's  business,  and  I  feel  certain,  that 
Mr.  Blood  did  not.  It  was  a  masterly  stroke,  and  did  its 
work  well." 

"  So  you  are  not  content  with  being  defeated,  after  hav- 
ing all  the  advantage  to  begin  with,  but  must  compliment 
your  victor  !"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  bitter  scorn. 

"I  only  do  so,  Mrs.  Graham,  in  order  that  you  may  the 
more  readily  realize  your  position.  And  fully  understand 
me  when  I  say  that  we  must  use  every  means  in  our  power 
to  cause  them  to  abandon  this  opposition,  even  if  they  have 
to  feel  the  iron  heel.     This  must  be  your  course  ;  or  if  you 


214  FOILED. 

object  to  severe  measures,  then  use  every  effort  to  conciliate 
them  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  I  shall  make  the  terms,  not  they  ! ''  said  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, passionately.  "I  am  dictator,  and  while  I  am  I  will 
hear  to  no  conciliation  !" 

"  But  are  you  sure  you  can  make  them  feel  that  power  ?" 
inquired  Mr.  Skinner,  doubtfully. 

''lam!"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  fiercely;  ''but  I  need 
your  advice.  I  have  tried  persuasion,  and  failed  ;  I  have 
made  them  realize  that  their  friends  have  deserted  them, 
that  their  relatives  ignored  them  and  were  incensed  at  their 
actions.  Edith's  closest  friends  have  almost  spat  upon  her. 
I  have  used  all  the  pressure  of  the  church  society  against 
them  ;  I  have  driven  them  from  the  church  itself — and  all 
to  no  purpose.  Their  sense  of  shame  and  disgrace  seems 
blunted,  and  Arthur  carries  his  head  as  high  and  is  as  fear- 
less as  ever.  He  gives  no  signs  of  faltering  in  his  purpose, 
or  that  he  realizes  his  jjosition." 

Mr.  Skinner  was  lost  in  admiration  of  this  woman  as  she 
stood  before  him,  her  eyes  glowing  with  the  intensity  of 
her  passions  as  she  recalled  her  fruitless  efforts  to  stay  the 
course  of  the  rebellious  daughter.  Never  had  he  seen  her 
in  the  light  he  now  beheld  her — a  woman  whom  he  was 
now  ready  to  acknowledge  as  his  superior,  and  yet  he  could 
but  admire  her. 

"1  still  have  one  hope,"  continued  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a 
look  of  fiendish  delight  in  its  contemplation.  "  I  have  it  in 
my  power  to  ruin  him  if  he  does  not  give  in.  The  building 
in  which  he  is  doing  business  belongs  to  the  estate,  and  he 
is  in  my  power." 


FOILED.  215 

''And  you  will  raise  his  rent,  I  dare  say  ?"  interposed 
Mr.  Skinner,  with  a  grin  of  satisfaction. 

*'Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  "and  to  such  an  extent  as 
you  little  dream  of." 

"It  would  not  be  wise  to  raise  it  too  mucli,  or  he  may 
move,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  warningly. 

"  There  is  where  I  have  him  in  my  power,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  confidently.  "By  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Graham 
he  was  given  the  use  of  this  building  rent  free,  and  when 
Edith  was  married  it  was  understood  that  this  rent  should 
be  a  part  of  her  marriage  portion.  I  am  now  free  to  raise 
his  rent  at  once  and  to  any  figure  I  desire  ;  and  he  cannot 
move,  for  the  reason  that  there  is  not  a  vacant  store  near 
him,  and  to  move  away  entirely  would  lose  him  the  work 
of  years.  He  knows  what  the  result  would  be  as  well  as  I. 
He  must  pay  what  I  demand ;  there  is  no  doubt  of  that. 
Now,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  if  there  is  any  legal  objection." 

"Are  you  sure  that  he  has  no  written  agreement  that 
will  protect  him  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner. 

"  I  am  certain  he  has  not.  The  only  agreement  was  a 
verbal  one  between  Mr.  Graham  and  himself,  and  was  never 
referred  to  after  it  was  first  entered  into." 

"Then  I  see  no  legal  objection  ;  but  would  you  dare  to 
resort  to  such  desperate  measures  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner, 
doubtfully. 

"  Dare  ! "  said  Mrs.  Graham,  scornfully.  Ha  !  If  the  law 
permits  it  I'll  do  it." 

"It  is  well  worth  the  trial,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  now  con- 
vinced that  his  troubles  would  soon  be  at  an  end. 

And  so  it  was  decided  that  Arthur  should  feel  the  iron 
grinding  deeper  and  deeper  into  his  soul. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

I   AM    CORKEEED  AND    AT   BAY. 

It  was  but  a  short  time  after  Mrs.  Graham's  conversation 
with  Mr,  Skinner  that  Arthur  received  word  from  her  that 
she  desired  to  see  him,  as  she  was  now  ready  to  take  charge 
of  all  the  business  relating  to  the  estate. 

In  answer  to  her  request,  Arthur  entered  the  house, 
where  he  was  most  cordially  greeted  by  Mrs,  Graham  and 
by  her  ushered  into  the  presence  of  uncle  Webster. 

"Draw  up  to  the  family  circle,  Arthur,"  began  Mrs. 
Graham,  graciously.  And  as  Arthur  took  the  proffered 
chair,  she  asked  :  "  How  is  Edith's  health  ?  I  trust  she  is 
well." 

''Yes,  very  well,  thank  you,"  replied  Arthur,  not  to  be 
outdone  in  diplomacy. 

"lam  pleased  to  hear  it,"  replied  Mrs,  Graham,  "I 
have  intended  to  call  and  see  her  for  some  time,  but  some- 
thing has  always  prevented." 

"Edith  has  been  expecting  a  call  from  you,"  replied 
Arthur,  thinking  of  how  Edith  feared  that  she  might. 
"  But  I  came  in  answer  to  your  request  to  make  a  final 
settlement  with  you,     I  am  ready  and  await  your  pleasure," 

"0,  yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  as  if  the  pleasure  she 

216 


FOILED.  217 

experienced  by  reason  of  his  presence  had  made  her  for  the 
moment  forget  it.  ''As  uncle  Webster  is  anxious  to  return 
home,  we  thought  it  would  be  best  to  have  all  the  business 
well  in  hand  before  he  leaves,  and  for  that  purpose  sent  for 
you  to  give  us  the  names  of  all  the  tenants,  the  amount 
each  one  pays,  and  turn  over  to  us  the  money  you  have 
collected. " 

"I  can  do  that  very  easily,"  replied  Arthur,  as  he  enu- 
merated the  amounts  and  names  ;  "and  here  is  the  money, 
for  which,  if  you  find  it  correct,  you  may  give  me  a  receipt 
and  then  my  business  is  ended." 

''Mrs.  Graham  eagerly  reached  forward,  and  taking  the 
money  carefully  counted  it,  and  after  comparing  the  amount 
with  Arthur's  statement,  wrote  him  a  receipt  in  a  plain, 
bold  hand,  that  showed  no  signs  of  faltering,  then  carefully 
folding  it  she  handed  it  to  him,  saying  : 

"I  will  now  relieve  you  of  your  duties,  Arthur,  and  as  I 
shall  take  full  charge  of  the  estate  I  will  not  require  your 
services  after  this  time." 

"I  have  no  objection  to  that,"  replied  Arthur,  coolly. 

"In  regard  to  the  property,"  continued  Mrs.  Graham, 
"  I  find  that  we  have  a  complete  record  of  all  but  one  piece." 

"And  which  one  is  that  ?"  inquired  Arthur. 

"We  find  that  the  store  you  occupy  is  not  mentioned," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  quietly. 

''  I  supposed  we  all  understood  the  arrangement  between 
Mr.  Graham  and  myself,  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  this 
rent  was  to  be  a  part  of  Edith's  marriage  portion,"  said 
Arthur,  with  no  little  astonishment. 

"I  never  heard  of  any  such  agreement,  did  you,  Web- 


218  FOILED. 

ster  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  well-feigned  astonishment, 
as  she  turned  toward  him. 

"I  never  heard  of  it,"  was  Webster's  positive  reply. 

"  If  there  was  an  agreement  of  this  kind  I  am  surprised 
that  I  did  not  know  of  it,"  continued  Mrs.  Graham  ;  "when 
were  the  papers  signed  V 

"There  were  no  papers,"  said  Arthur,  as  he  quickly 
realized  his  defenceless  position;  "it  was  only  a  verbal 
agreement,  Mrs.  Graham,  and  you  knew  of  it  ;  you  know 
that  many  times  it  was  spoken  of  in  your  presence." 

"I  think  you  must  be  mistaken,  Arthur,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  with  well-feigned  surprise  ;  "  but  even  if  this  were 
so,,  you  can  readily  see  that  this  building  is  a  valuable 
piece  of  property  and  you  should  be  willing  to  pay  your 
proportion  of  rent,  and  should  not  consider  it  unfair  if  in 
this  way  we  asked  you  to  help  us  pay  the  heavy  expenses 
incurred  in  settling  the  estate." 

"With  the  understanding  that  all  shall  be  treated  alike," 
replied  Arthur,  "  I  will  consent  to  pay  rent  for  my  store." 

"In  what  way  do  you  mean  that  all  should  be  treated 
alike  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  doubtfully. 

"  I  mean  that,  realizing  the  necessity  for  administering 
the  affairs  of  the  estate  economically,  as  I  judge  you  must 
from  what  you  have  just  said,  you  will  agree  to  pay  rent 
for  this  house." 

"Most  assuredly  I  shall  not,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  in- 
dignantly. 

Arthur  turned  an  inquiring  look  upon  uncle  Webster, 
but  he  continued  his  idle  tapping  on  the  arm  of  his  chair, 
and  made  no  reply,  his  usefulness  seemingly  rested  entirely 


FOILED.  219 

in  the  assurance  that  his  presence  gave  of  harmony  in  the 
acts  of  the  executors. 

"And  what  is  the  amount  that  you  have  decided  I  must 
pay  ?"  queried  Arthur. 

"  Six  thousand  doHars  a  year  is  the  price  we  have  decidi  d 
upon,  though  we  ought  to  get  more/'  replied  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, complacently. 

"  I  will  not  pay  it,"  quickly  replied  Arthur.  "  The  })rice 
is  out  of  all  reason.  My  business  would  not  justify  me  in 
trying  to  pay  it,  and,  more  than  this,  the  stores  on  either 
side  of  me  are  rented  for  very  much  less." 

"  But  these  are  old  rates,  and  we  are  advancing  prices  on 
all  new  leases  in  order  to  meet  expenses,  of  which  the  item 
of  litigation  is  no  small  part,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  sig- 
nificantly. 

"  If  these  expenses  are  so  great,  Mrs.  Graham,  why  are 
you  not  willing  to  contribute  your  share  ?" 

"  You  speak  as  if  there  was  no  difference  in  our  posi- 
tions," replied  Mrs.  Graham,  bursting  into  tears  at  the 
thought. 

But  with  him  her  tears  were  unavailing.  The  ruin  that 
stared  him  in  the  face  made  him  desperate,  and  as  he 
slowly  rose  from  his  seat,  and  resting  one  hand  uj)on  the 
table  that  stood  between  them,  waited  for  her  to  brush 
away  her  tears,  his  eyes  gave  warning  of  what  she  might 
expect. 

"Yes,  there  is  a  difference  in  our  positions,"  began 
Arthur,  with  low,  intense  tones.  "As  executrix,  you  have 
been  placed  in  the  position  where  you  can  insult,  abuse 
and  rob  my  wife  without  fear  of  the  consequences ;  where 


220  FOILED.  . 

you  can  use  a  large  part  of  this  estate  without  paying  rent, 
while  you  force  me  to  the  brink  of  ruin.  In  this  you  are  sup- 
ported by  the  brother  of  the  man  who  made  you  all  that  yon 
are  or  ever  hope  to  be.  My  position  is  one  where,  without 
a  protest,  I  must  assent  to  your  robbing  this  estate,  and  see 
the  wreck  of  Edith's  friends  and  your  triumphs  over  her, 
while  I  stand  idly  by,  powerless  to  move  you  either  by  the 
picture  of  the  ruin  you  have  wrought,  or  by  pleas  for 
mercy. " 

"And  you  !"  continued  Arthur,  turning  upon  Webster 
Graham,  who  was  now  cowering  in  the  corner  where  he  sat, 
*'  you  were  placed  in  the  position  you  hold  for  the  purpose 
of  defending  tlie  interests  of  the  daughter,  instead  of 
doing  which  you  are  but  the  servile  tool  of  this  woman, 
who,  without  a  protest  from  you,  casts  rej^roach  upon  your 
dead  brother's  name,  and  publicly  proclaims  him  a  miser. 
That  is  the  difference  in  our  positions — is  the  picture  a 
pleasing  one  ?" 

As  Arthur  ceased  speaking  and  his  uplifted  hand  slowly 
dropped  to  his  side,  he  could  but  notice  that  his  words  had 
had  their  effect.  Mrs.  Graham  had  found  consolation  in  her 
tears,  while  Webster  sat  as  one  paralyzed  by  the  thought  of 
the  fearful  retribution  that  seemed  to  be  impending.  Find- 
ing no  response,  Arthur  slowly  turned  and  left  the  room,  and 
reaching  the  outer  door  was  about  to  depart,  when,  hear- 
ing his  name  called,  he  turned  and  saw  uncle  Webster,  who 
now  made  his  appearance  as  an  embassador  of  peace,  and 
with  much  volubility  assured  Arthur  that  they  would 
carefully  look  into  the  merits  of  the  case  before  coming  to 
a  final  decision. 


FOILED.  221 

Arthur's  excitement  had  not  entirely  disappeared  by  the 
time  he  reached  home,  and  Edith  quickly  surmised  that 
his  visit  had  not  been  without  its  unpleasant  features. 

"  Now  you  must  tell  me  all  about  it,"  said  Edith,  viva- 
ciously, as  she  seated  herself  near  him ;  *'  what  did  they 
say  ?" 

"  It  seems  that  Mrs.  Graham  is  not  content  with  what 
she  has  already  done,"  began  Arthur,  moodily,  "for  she 
now  proposes  to  drive  me  out  of  the  store,  or  force  me  to 
pay  such  a  rent  as  would  ruin  me. " 

'*  But  she  cannot  do  that  Arthur,  for  she  knows  as  well 
as  we  that  father  gave  you  that  store  rent  free  forever,  and 
as  a  part  of  my  marriage  portion,"  said  Edith,  reassuringly. 

"Yes,  Edith,  I  know  that,  and  so  does  she  ;  but  there 
are  no  papers  by  which  I  can  prove  it.  I  can  stand  the  loss 
of  friends  and  all  the  falsehoods  she  has  told,  but  when  she 
forces  me  to  this  it  makes  me  desperate." 

"But,  Arthur,  uncle  Webster  will  surely  prevent  her 
from  doing  us  this  wrong  ?" 

"Uncle  Webster,"  said  Arthur,  bitterly,  " is  only  a  v/eak 
imbecile.  Her  superior  will  carries  his  judgment  just  as 
she  desires,  and  I  told  him  so.  I  was  furious,  and  talked 
to  her  as  I  never  talked  to  a  woman  before.  I  don't  know 
just  what  I  did  say,  but  when  I  finished,  I  had  time  to  walk 
tlie  whole  length  of  the  hall  before  they  recovered  from 
the  shock.  It  may  have  been  unwise,  but  I  could  not  help 
it.  I  have  seen  your  misery  and  felt  that  she  was  its  cause, 
with  no  chance  to  defeat  its  bitter  work  ;  and  when  they 
gave  me  this  opportunity  I  eagerly  accepted  it,  and  feel 
better  for  the  relief  it  has  afforded  me.     The  consequences 


222  FOILED. 

we  must  meet  as  they  arise.  It  seems  as  if  the  law  and 
humanity  were  our  enemies,  and  every  man's  hand  against 
us,  because  we  dare  to  ask  for  justice.  Could  they  show 
me  one  single  proof  that  we  are  wrong,  I  would  stop  at 
once  ;  but  they  have  not  and  cannot.  0,  Edith,  I  have 
never  felt  the  need  of  father  Graham's  wise  counsel  and 
advice  as  I  do  now! " 

Edith's  eyes  were  filled  with  tears  as  she  silently  con- 
templated the  dark  and  dismal  vista  that  was  presented  to 
her  sight. 

"  O,  Edith,"  said  Arthur,  in  desj^air,  "  will  you  not  help 
me,  can  you  not  tell  me  what  we  should  do?  For  I  have  at 
last  come  to  where  a  solid  wall  is  before  me,  while  behind 
me  I  hear  the  bloodhounds  that  seek  my  life.  I  am  cor- 
nered and  at  bay  !  " 

"You  said  you  would  ask  no  quarter,  Arthur,"  replied 
Edith,  with  downcast  eyes  ;  "  and  I  would  rather  starve  than 
have  you  do  it  now." 

"  Nor  will  I  until  I  am  compelled  to  ;  but  this  care  and 
worry  is  telling  on  me,  and  I  am  bending  under  the  strain." 

"  That  does  not  sound  like  my  brave  boy,"  said  Edith, 
throwing  her  arms  around  his  neck.-  "You  are  tired  and 
discouraged  now,  but  you  have  said  you  would  fight  the 
old  dragon  until  she  cried  for  pity,  and  I  believe  you  will. 
These  dark  days  cannot  last  much  longer."  And  Edith's 
bravery  all  forsook  her  as  she  again  realized  the  depth  of 
her  misery,  while  the  tears  filled  her  eyes — a  child  of 
misery  baptized  in  tears. 

The  next  morning  Arthur  rose  with  buoyant  spirits,  and 
was  greatly  surprised  by  Edith's  wondering  look  as  she  in- 
quired: 


FOILED.  223 

''  Have  you  so  soon  forgotten  your  troubles,  Arthur ; 
have  your  cares  flown  with  the  night?" 

"  I  guess  I  was  a  little  discouraged  last  night,  now  that  I 
look  back  at  it,"  replied  Arthur,  with  a  laugh.  "  But  you 
see  I  lay  awake  long  into  the  night  with  my  thoughts  as 
my  companions,  and  as  they  voluntarily  moved  about,  here 
touching  a  tender  spot,  and  there  resting  quietly  upon 
some  act  well  done,  I  began  to  realize  that  I  was  gradually 
returning  to  myself  again,  while  thought  on  thought  was 
piled  until  one  of  these  midnight  watchers  whispered  in  my 
ear,  'He  only  earns  his  freedom  and  existence  who  daily 
conquers  hate  anew.'  So  greatly  was  I  impressed  that  I 
again  renewed  the  struggle  with  the  storm  of  fate,  and  as  I 
battled  with  the  invisible  foe  I  thought  I  saw  an  out- 
stretched hand,  and  as  it  came  nearer  I  beheld  father 
Graham,  who,  with  a  kindly  smile,  quoted  those  beautiful 
words  of  Lowell: 

'  Once  to  every  man  and  nation,  comes  the  moment  to  decide, 
In  the  strife  of  truth  with  falsehood,  for  the  good  or  evil  side.' 

I  could  only  hide  my  face  with  my  hands,  while  the  tears 
of  Joy  unbidden  came,  and  then,  anxious  to  tell  him  all,  I 
opened  my  eyes  only  to  realize  that  it  was  morning." 

"  It  must  have  been  a  vision,  Arthur,"  said  Edith,  joy- 
fully.    *'  The  worst  is  over,  I  feel  sure  it  is." 

"  No,  Edith,  it  was  but  the  vain  imaginings  of  a  dis- 
ordered brain,  but  it  has  cheered  and  strengthened  me  as 
nothing  else  could  have  done,  for  I  now  feel  almost  sure 
that  our  course  would  be  considered  right  by  him  if  he 
were  here.  Thus  again  my  armor  is  repaired,  and  I,  your 
faithful  knight,  am  ready  to  battle  for  my  lady  fair.'' 


224:  FOILED. 

''You  were  very  blue  last  niglit,  Arthur,"  said  Edith, 
archly  ;  "  and  though  it  does  my  heart  good  to  see  you  once 
more  yourself,  I  fear  the  cause  is  not  yet  removed." 

"  He  that  is  down  need  no  longer  fear  fickle  fortune's 
power,  for  he  can  full  no  lower ;  and  if  the  returning  tide 
moves  him  at  all,  it  can  only  be  to  help." 

"You  are  all  poetry  and  song  this  "morning,"  said  Edith, 
laughing  ;  "last  night  it  was  doubt  and  dark  despair." 

"And  yours  the  stout  heart  when  I  despair,  the  steady 
wheel-horse  when  I  would  run  away.  But  such  should  a 
man's  helpmeet  be  that  cheers  aud  steadies  him  by  his  op- 
posite. But  as  you  say,  Edith,  I  am  jubilant  now,  while  last 
night  I  was  desperate.  But  the  mystery  is  easily  solved  ;  for 
if  you  will  take  the  pendulum  of  a  clock  and  draw  it  until 
it  almost  breaks,  you  will  find  when  you  let  go  that  it 
swings  without  your  aid  as  far  the  other  way.  So  Mrs.  Ora- 
ham  drew  me  to  the  point  where  I  bent  under  the  strain, 
and  every  sense  of  right  and  justice  quivered  in  her  grasp; 
now  the  pendulum  has  swung  to  the  other  side,  and  in  a 
short  time  will  settle  down  to  the  even  methodical  vibration 
that  carries  us  through  the  world  with  the  least  amount  of 
friction  and  care." 

"You  had  better  walk  to  the  store  tliis  morning,"  said 
Edith,  her  eyes  twinkling  with  merriment ;  "the  cool  air 
will  do  you  good. " 

"That  hint  is  strong  enough  to  move  a  mountain,"  re- 
plied Arthur,  fully  appreciating  Edith's  thrust;  "it  is 
double  headed,  and  pointed  at  both  ends." 

"  It  is  just  as  well  that  you  should  learn  that  the  brains 
of  this  family  don't  all  lie  on  the  Howard  side,"  said  Edith, 
with  mock  seriousness,  as  she  opened  the  door  for  him. 


FOILED  225 

"I  do  not  wish  to  quarrel  with  you,"  said  Arthur, 
solemnly  quoting  Mrs.  Graham's  words. 

"  Then  be  just  to  your  wife,"  replied  Edith,  as  with  a 
laugh  she  closed  the  door. 


16 


CHAPTEE  XYI. 

GREEK   MEETS   GREEK. 

After  his  last  experience  with  Mrs.  Graham,  Arthur 
and  Edith  no  longer  made  any  attempt  to  keep  up  the  ap- 
pearance of  friendshi})  that  had  until  this  time  existed ; 
and  when,  a  few  days  afterward,  Mrs,  Graham  made  her  ap- 
pearance in  his  store,  Arthur  met  her  with  a  very  cool  salu- 
tation. 

"  I  came,^'  began  Mrs,  Graham,  with  book  and  pencil  in 
hand,  "  to  collect  your  rent,"  and  then,  smiling  at  Arthur's 
look  of  surprise,  she  continued,  "you  know  it  is  the  first 
of  the  month  and  I  desire  to  show  no  partiality.  You  are 
pre]3ared  to  pay,  are  you  not  ?  " 

"No,"  replied  Arthur,  calmly,  "I  am  not  ready  now." 

"When  will  you  be?"  questioned  Mrs,  Graham,  with 
cool  complacency. 

"Never  !"  rej)lied  Arthur,  firmly,  "I  told  you  that  I 
would  not  when  you  first  mentioned  it.  I  meant  what  I 
said  then,  and  I  mean  it  now," 

"Are  you  prepared  to  take  the  consequences  of  this  rash 
decision  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  an  inquiring  smile, 

*'I  am,"  said  Arthur,  defiantly  ;  "do  your  worst." 

*'I  feel  very  sorry  for  you,  Arthur,  for  I  fear  that  you 

226 


FOILED.  237 

have  allowed  your  hot  temper  to  decide  your  course.  You 
are  placing  yourself  in  a  dangerous  position,  and  I  feel  that 
I  should  warn  you  of  it.^' 

*'I  appreciate  your  friendship,  Mrs.  Graham,"  replied 
Arthur,  coldly,  *'but  I  must  disregard  your  friendly  warn- 
ing, for  all  tliat.". 

"  Do  you  know  that  I  can  force  you  to  vacate  these  prem- 
ises," demanded  Mrs,  Graham,  fiercely;  ''that  you  will 
not  be  able  to  rent  a  store  near  here  ;  that  to  move  away 
will  ruin  you  and  your  family  will  starve  ?  " 

"  I  am  fully  aware  of  all  you  say,  Mrs.  Graham,  and  have 
dared  you  to  do  your  worst.  Your  temporizing  only  ex- 
poses your  weakness,  for  if  you  felt  sure  that  you  could 
make  me  yield  you  would  have  no  reason  to  urge  me  to 
change  my  course." 

"I  only  do  so  as  a  friend,  "replied  Mrs.  Graham,  placidly. 
"  You  are  young  and  liable  to  decide  upon  a  course  of 
action  which  you  will  afterward  regret." 

"  Your  acts  belie  your  words,"  said  Arthur,  turning 
fiercely  upon  her.  "  I  may  be  unfortunate  in  being  young, 
I  may  be  indiscreet,  but  I  would  rather  trust  to  my  youth 
with  all  its  follies  than  to  the  advice  of  such  a  friend  as 
you." 

''And  yet  you  are  trusting  that  my  friendship  will  keep 
me  from  doing  what  you  foolishly  dare  me  to  do,"  replied 
Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  sneer. 

"Were  I  to  do  that,"  replied  Arthur,  earnestly,  "you 
would  in  truth  have  reason  to  call  me  foolish.  No,  Mrs. 
Graham,  I  know  you  too  well  to  hope  for  pity  or  relenting 
on  your  part ;  but  you  make  a  mistake  when  you  imagine 


338  FOILED. 

that  because  I  do  not  rave  and  threaten  that  I  do  not  mean 
all  I  say.  I  know  the  worldly-wise  cunning  that  makes  your 
will  a  power  that  cannot  be  ignored,  and  when  to  this  is 
added  the  only  lacking  feature  of  a  dead  conscience,  I  do  not 
wonder  that  you  question  my  decision  ;  but  knowing  all 
this,  I  dare  you  to  do  your  worst,  and  if  you  ever  hear  me 
cry  for  pity,  laugh  at  me  as  you  did  the  other  night  when 
I  asked  you  to  be  reasonable  and  just. " 

"  Then  you  will  not  pav  your  rent  ?'^  demanded  Mrs. 
Graham,  threateningly 

"Never  !" 

''  I  think  I  had  better  leave  you  to  consider  the  matter 
while  I  see  the  other  tenants, '^  said  Mrs.  Graham,  hesitat- 
ingly, "and  when  I  return  I  will  take  your  final  answer," 
and  unaided  she  found  her  way  to  the  door. 

Arthur's  lips  curled  with  a  smile  of  scorn  as  his  eyes 
followed  her  retreating  form.  "  She  is  hardly  prepared  for 
the  reception  in  store  for  her,"  thought  Arthur,  as  he 
returned  to  his  desk,  where  he  was  soon  again  occupied 
with  his  work. 

The  rustling  of  silks  as  Mrs.  Graham  glided  into  his 
office  gave  him  warning  of  her  return. 

"Arthur,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  her  voice  indicating  the 
intensity  of  her  excitement,  "  Mr.  Blakemoor  refuses  to 
pay  me  his  rent !" 

"  Well  ?  "  inquiringly  replied  Arthur,  without  looking  up. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?"  gasped  Mrs.  Graham. 

"We  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  replied  Arthur, 
coolly. 

"Well,  what  shall  I  do  ?"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  exasper- 
ated at  his  coolness. 


FOILED.  329 

"  0,  I  think  you  are  'perfectly  able  to  attend  to  all  such 
little  matters  as  these,'"  replied  Arthur,  his  eyes  still 
fastened  upon  his  work. 

"  If  you  were  to  go  to  him,  Arthur,  you  could  collect 
this  money,"  suggested  Mrs.  Graham,  appealingly.  "  "Will 
you  ?  " 

Arthur  slowly  raised  his  eyes  until  they  met  hers,  and 
then  replied  :     "  No,  I  will  not  !  " 

"  Why,  Arthur  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  despairingly. 
"  We  once  were  such  good  friends — what  has  made  this 
change  ?  " 

For  a  moment  Arthur's  eyes  searched  her  through  and 
through,  then,  as  he  recalled  the  memory  of  Edith's  vain 
supplications  at  the  feet  of  this  heartless  woman,  his  heart 
refused  its  sympathy  and  he  sternly  answered 

''Your  treatment  of  Edith  would  be  reason  enough;  but 
when  you  refused  her  one  keepsake  from  her  old  home, 
even  though  she  paid  you  thrice  its  value,  that  moment 
our  friendship  ceased." 

Mrs.  Graham  reeled  backward,  and  grasping  the  portals 
of  the  door  stood  irresolute  a  moment ;  then  like  one  walk- 
ing in  his  sleep,  she  turned  and  found  her  way  to  her 
carriage  and  was  rapidly  driven  home. 

"  Are  you  busy,  Mr.  Howard  ?  " 

Arthur  looked  up,  and  seeing  Mr.  Blakemoor's  beaming 
countenance  at  his  office  door,  said  : 

"  Not  particularly  ;  come  in." 

"  What  did  the  old  woman  say  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Blake- 
moor,  as  he  took  the  proffered  seat. 

"  She  wanted  me  to  collect  the  rent  for  her,"  rejilied 
Arthur,  with  a  quiet  smile,  "but  I  refused." 


330  FOILED. 

"  Well,  here  it  is,"  said  Mr.  Blakemoor,  as  lie  proceeded 
to  count  a  roll  of  bills.  ''I  don't  want  to  keep  it,  but  after 
she  treated  you  and  Edith  the  way  she  did  I  was  determined 
to  give  her  all  the  trouble  I  could,  even  if  it  cost  me  some- 
thing. 

*'  No,  keep  your  money,"  said  Arthur  ;  ''  I  cannot  take 
it ;  she  must  manage  this  case  herself.  But  I  expected 
that  when  she  entered  your  shop  and  demanded  the  rent 
you  would  pay  her,  for  I  thought  when  you  told  me  that 
you  should  refuse  her  that  you  might  be  only  jesting." 

"  No,  I  was  in  earnest,"  was  the  quick  reply.  *'You  see, 
I  knew  Edith  years  ago  when  she  was  a  little  girl  and  came 
with  Mr.  Graham  to  my  shop  for  meat,  and  years  before 
that  I  went  to  school  to  this  old  woman  and  she  used  to 
flog  the  life  nearly  out  of  me  because  I  was  so  dumb.  She 
has  forgotten  me,  but  I  remember  her.  So  when  Mr.  Gra- 
ham died,  I  says  to  myself,  now  the  old  wom^an — " 

"Call  her  Mrs.  Graham,"  suggested  Arthur. 

''What  for?" 

"  In  respect  to  the  memory  of  your  friend,  whose  wife 
she  was,"  said  Arthur,  reprovingly. 

"  That's  so,"  replied  Mr.  Blakemoor  ;  *'it's  due  to  his 
memory  eyen  though  she  be  the  old  devil  that  she  is.  Well, 
when  he  died,  I  says,  '  now  she  will  take  all  she  can  get  and 
leave  Edith  nothing  ;'  so  I  watched  the  court  pretty  close, 
and  I  find  I  was  right.  I  was  there  when  the  old  Judge 
asked  her  that  stunning  question,  and  I  almost  busted  when 
I  see  how  pitiful  she  looked  at  h  r  lawyer.  Well,  when 
you  told  me  that  hereafter  she  would  collect  the  rent,  I 
made  up  my  mind  that  she  would  if  she  could,  but  that  I 


FOILED.  231 

would  lead  her  a  long  chase  before  she  got  it.  So  when  slie 
drove  up  to  the  door  and  sailed  into  the  shop,  I  paid  no 
attention  to  her  until  all  my  customers  were  waited  on,  and 
then  I  asked  her  if  it  was  a  roast  or  steak  she  wanted  1 
She  straightened  up,  and  tapping  her  book  with  her  pencil, 
said,  'No,  I  came  for  the  rent.'  I  looked  surprised,  and 
asked  her  what  rent.  She  replied,  the  rent  for  my  shop. 
I  told  her  that  I  always  paid  you  my  rent  and  did  not  know 
her.  She  straightened  up,  haughtily,  and  said  she  was  the 
widow  of  Stewart  Graham.  I  told  her  that  tjiat  might  be, 
but  I  had  not  the  pleasure  of  her  acquaintance.  This 
seemed  to  upset  her,  and  looking  scared  like,  she  said, 
'  Then  you  wont  pay  me  your  rent  ? '  I  replied  that  I  would 
be  a  fool  to  pay  my  rent  to  any  and  every  one  who  came 
into  my  shop  claiming  to  be  Stewart  Graham's  widow.  By 
this  time  several  customers  were  waiting  for  me,  and  as  I 
turned  to  wait  on  them  she  left.  So  when  her  carriage  left 
here  I  thought  I  would  come  in  and  tell  you  how  I  got  even 
with  my  old  school  marm,"  and  Mr,  Blakemoor  laughed 
until  his  fat  sides  fairly  shook. 

''And  did  she  go  no  farther  than  your  shop  ?  "  inquired 
Arthur. 

"  I  guess  not ;  but  all  the  other  tenants  around  here  will 
do  the  same  as  I  did." 

"  I  appreciate  your  friendly  intentions,"  replied  Arthur, 
"but  I  am  afraid  the  lesson  was  more  severe  than  she  ever 
gave  you  to  learn." 

"Joe  Blakemoor  may  be  rough  and  uneducated,  Mr. 
Howard,  but  he's  got  a  heart  in  him,  and  when  he's  your 
friend  you  can  depend  on  him  to  talk  or  to  fight  for  you.'* 


23'2  FOILED. 

"•  I  believe  it,"  replied  Arthur,  laughing  ;  ''and  one  suits 
you  about  as  well  as  the  other." 

"  Just  about ;  I'm  always  accommodating  in  that  way," 
and  Joe  Blakemoor  chuckled  at  his  wit  as  he  returned  to  Ms 
shop. 

"Well,  thought  Arthur,  "if  all  the  tenants  are  like 
Joe,  Mrs.  Graham  will  have  a  busy  time  in  attending  to 
'these  little  matters.'  The  failure  to  get  money  seems  to 
upset  her  more  than  anything  else,  for  never  before  have  I 
seen  her  so  nearly  overcome  as  she  was  to-day." 

"Ahem ! " 

Arthur  looked  up  with  some  surprise  to  find  uncle  Web- 
ster standing  by  his  desk. 

"Well,  uncle,"  was  Arthur's  smiling  salutation,  "you 
came  in  so  silently  that  I  did  not  hear  you  ;  but  take  a 
seat." 

Webster  was  evidently  relieved  at  Arthur's  cordial  greet- 
ing, but  his  embarrassment  at  the  importance  of  his  mis- 
sion did  not  entirely  leave  him. 

Arthur  quietly  waited  for  developments,  for  he  felt  sure 
that  Webster  came  as  a  messenger  from  Mrs.  Graham. 

"Ahem  !  Nice  weather  we  are  having  now,"  began  Web- 
ster, uneasily. 

"Yes,  uncommon  for  this  time  of  year  ;  I  cannot  remem- 
ber of  weather  like  this  for  many  years,  can  you  ?"  in- 
quired Arthur,  well  knowing  that  Webster  did  not  care  to 
talk  about  the  weather  at  any  great  length. 

"No,  but,  ahem  !"  and  Webster  moved  uneasily  in  his 
chair. 

Arthur  waited  patiently. 


FOILED.  233 

"Arthur,"  began  Webster,  in  a  loud,  bold  voice;  and 
then,  as  if  scared  at  its  sound,  lie  continued  in  a  lower 
tone,  "some  trouble  with  the  tenants,  I  hear." 

"So  Mrs.  Graham  said." 

"Refuse  to  pay  their  rent,  it  seems." 

"Something  of  that  kind,  I  believe." 

"Said  he  did  not  know  her." 

"  Did  he  ?  "  inquired  Arthur  with  well-feigned  innocence. 

"I  wonder  if  it  would  do  any  good  for  me  to  see  him  i-*" 
inquired  Webster,  doubtfully. 

"  You  might  try." 

"I  don't  suppose  he  knows  me  any  better  than  Mrs. 
Graham." 

"No,  I  suppose  not,"  replied  Arthur,  laughing;  "I 
don't  think  he  docs. " 

Webster  sat  for  a  moment  absorbed  in  thought,  then 
turning  to  Arthur  he  asked  : 

"  Will  you  do  mo  a  favor  ?  " 

"In  what  way? "' 

"  Will  you  collect  this  money  for  me  T' 

For  a  moment  Arthur  hesitated,  then  replied;  "Yes, 
for  your  sake  I  will ;  but  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  get  it 
now." 

"Try,  please,"'  said  Webster  in  desperation. 

Arthur  was  gone  but  a  moment,  and  returning  handed 
Webster  the  roll  of  money  without  saying  a  word. 

"It  seems  easy  enough  when  you  go  at  it  in  the  right 
way,"  said  Webster,  evidently  well  pleased  at  Arthurs's 
success. 

"Did  Mrs.  Graham  ask  you  to  have  me  collect  this?^' 
said  Arthur,  with  a  suspicion  that  such  was  the  case. 


234  FOILED. 

"  She  said  for  me  to  ask  you  to  collect  it  if  I  could  not/' 
replied  Webster,  reluctantly. 

"It  is  strange,"  said  Arthur,  musingly;  "she  is  not 
moved  by  pleas  or  threats,  but  the  moment  that  money 
enters  into  the  question  she  will  humble  herself  to  the 
earth  in  order  to  obtain  it." 

"  "We  have  been  talking  over  the  matter  of  the  collection 
of  these  rents,"  said  Webster,  ignoring  Arthur's  remarks, 
"  and  have  concluded  that  you  can  do  it  better  than  any 
one  else." 

"I  thought  Mrs.  Graham  desired  to  attend  to  that  her- 
self?" 

"Her  experience  to-day  has  changed  her  mind,"  said 
Webster,  pensively. 

"I  shall  not  attend  to  it,"  said  Arthur,  decisively. 

"  But  no  one  else  can  do  it,  Arthur,  and  we  expect  to  pay 
you  the  regular  commission  that  others  would  charge  us." 

"  If  Mrs.  Graham  is  willing  to  pay  for  her  folly  I  will 
consider  your  proposal,"  replied  Arthur,  who  was  secretly 
only  too  willing  to  accept  such  an  advantage.  "  What  com- 
mission is  she  willing  to  pay  ?  " 

"Ten  per  cent.,"  replied  W^ebster,  encouragingly. 

"And  am  I  to  have  full  charge  of  all  the  buildings  down 
here,  just  the  same  as  before  ?  "  said  Arthur,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  just  the  same,"  replied  Webster,  well  pleased  that 
Arthur  seemed  ready  to  consent. 

"I  will  attend  to  it,"  said  Arthur,  decisively;  "but  I 
shall  deduct  my  commission  first  and  then  pay  her  the 
balance." 

"That  is  perfectly  satisfactory,"  replied  Webster,  with  a 


FOILED.  235 

sigh  of  relief,  '^'^and  you  had  better  collect  them  as  soon  as 
you  can." 

''Shall  I  charge  a  commission  on  this  that  I  have  just 
handed  you  V  inquired  Arthur,  smiling. 

"  No,  that  was  collected  before  the  bargain  was  made," 
replied  Webster,  hastily  withdrawing  his  hand  in  his 
anxiety  to  retain  all  that  was  in  his  possession;  ''but  Mr. 
Skinner  will  give  you  a  poAver  of  attorney  to-morrow  and 
then  you  will  begin. " 

"  All  right,"  replied  Arthur,  well  pleased  at  the  turn  of 
events. 

Webster  soon  after  took  his  leave,  evidently  well  pleased 
at  his  success. 

"Well,  Edith,"  said  Arthur,  upon  his  return,  "I  have 
kept  open  house  to-day  and  had  plenty  of  callers.  First 
came  Mrs.  Graham,  with  pencil  and  book  in  hand,  ready 
to  receive  my  rent," 

"You  did  not  pay  her,  did  you,  Arthur  ?" 

"Not  in  money,  but  in  her  own  coin,"  replied  Arthur, 
with  a  smile  of  satisfaction.  "  When  I  refused  to  pay  her, 
she  first  threatened,  then  argued ;  but  finding  neither 
availed,  she  left  me  to  think  it  over  while  she  collected  the 
other  rents.  This  was  act  number  one.  Scene  second  was 
located  in  the  same  place.  The  former  prosecutor  now 
became  the  supplicant ;  for  it  seems  that  her  demand  for 
rent  was  also  refused  by  Mr.  Blakemoor,  and  she  at  once 
returned  to  me  for  aid,  the  which  I  declined  to  give  her, 
but  not  a  word  did  she  say  about  my  rent.  When  she  had 
gone,  Mr.  Blakemoor  called  and  told  me  what  their  con- 
versation had  been,  and  it  seems  she  was  his  'old  school 


236  FOILED. 

marm/  as  he  expressed  it,  and  he  was  only  too  anxious  to 
get  even.  Then  came  the  last  scene,  where  uncle  Webster, 
after  much  hesitation,  asks  me  to  try  and  collect  the  rents 
for  him.  This  I  did,  and  so  easily  as  to  astonish  him ; 
whereupon  he  made  me  the  offer  of  ten  jjer  cent,  of  all  the 
rents  collected  if  I  would  consent  to  again  take  charge  of 
the  affairs,  and  Mr.  Skinner  is  to  give  me  a  power  of 
attorney,  and  when  I  get  that  I  would  like  to  see  Mrs. 
Graham  force  me  to  pay  this  enormous  rent  which  she 
proposes  to  rob  me  of.  The  prospect  is  almost  too  bright, 
Edith,  and  I  am  fearful  that  Mr.  Skinner  will  spoil  it  all  by 
advising  her  of  the  position  it  will  place  her  in  ;  but  to- 
morrow I  shall  know. 

"If  he  gives  you  this  power  of  attorney,  as  you  call  it, 
can  she  not  still  force  you  to  pay  her  this  six  thousand 
dollars  a  year  as  rent  ?  "  inquired  Edith. 

"No,  for  I  will  be  my  own  landlord  then,  and  shall  not 
charge  so  much  for  my  store  as  she  did,"  replied  Arthur, 
laughing. 

"  That  seems  too  good  to  be  true,  Arthur  ;  but  I,  too, 
have  had  an  experience  and  must  tell  you  of  it.  I  called 
to  see  Miss  Ashton,  but  she  was  not  at  home;  her  mother 
was,  and  to  her  I  told  the  story  of  Mabel's  queer  actions. 
I  soon  found  that  her  mother  knew  the  cause,  but  would 
not  inform  me  what  it  was.  She  said,  however,  that  Mabel 
felt  very  much  hurt  by  something  that  had  occurred.  I 
asked  her  if  it  was  because  of  our  estate  troubles.  She  re- 
plied that  while  she  felt  that  I  had  not  done  right  in  that 
respect,  it  would  have  made  but  little  difference  with  her; 
the  real  cause  was  of  a  more  personal  character.     I  tried 


FOILED.  237 

my  best  to  find  out  what  it  was,  but  she  would  only  say 
that  I  had  better  see  Mabel  herself  and  exjjlain  to  her.  I 
denied  having  said  or  thought  evil  of  Mabel,  but  all  to  no 
purpose ;  the  answer  was  always  the  same." 

'*  It  is  unfortunate  that  you  did  not  find  Mabel  at  home/' 
said  Arthur  ;  '*  and  if  you  had  requested  her  mother  to  tell 
her  that  you  called  to  explain  why  the  misunderstanding 
should  not  continue,  I  would  feel  that  you  had  done  your 
full  duty.'^ 

"  I  did  just  that  thing ;  for  when  I  left  I  asked  Mrs. 
Ashton  to  be  sure  and  tell  Mabel  why  I  called,  and  she 
promised  to  do  so." 

''  Then  I  should  make  no  further  effort  until  she  sought 
me." 


CHAPTEK  XVII. 

A    BOLD  SCHEME    OF   EOBBEKY. 

"  I  wish  you  to  draw  up  the  necessary  papers  to  give 
Arthur  the  authority  to  make  leases  and  collect  the  rent  of 
the  down  town  property,"  began  Mrs.  Graham,  as  she 
entered  lawyer  Skinner's  office.  "  I  feel  that  he  is  the  best 
one  we  can  find  to  do  this,  and  as  Webster  goes  home  to- 
morrow, you  had  best  draw  them  at  once  so  that  he  can  sign 
them  before  he  leaves." 

"  I  can  draw  them  to-day  and  will  send  them  to  your 
house  when  they  are  finished,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  with 
a  look  of  surprise.  "  But  how  is  it  that  you  have  decided 
to  give  the  collection  of  rents  into  his  hands  ?  " 

''0,  I  have  so  much  else  to  attend  to  that  I  cannot  be 
bothered  with  all  the  detail  of  collecting  these  rents," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  languidly. 

"  But  is  it  not  unwise  to  ask  these  favors  at  this  time  ?" 

"  We  ask  no  favors,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  tartly.  "He 
is  to  be  paid  for  his  trouble." 

"  But  that  gives  him  the  sinews  of  war,  Mrs.  Graham, 
and  if  you  exiject  him  to  relent  you  must  keep  him  from 
getting  that." 

"I  shall  not  pay  him  his  commission  until  the  estate  is 

238 


FOILED.  239 

settled  or  lie  consents  to  pay  his  rent/'  replied  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham haughtily. 

"Then  he  has  not  consented  to  your  proposal  ?  "  inquired 
Mr.  Skinner. 

"  No,  he  positively  refuses  to  pay,  and  dares  me  to  do  my 
worst,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  reluctantly. 

"  In  that  case  I  had  better  serve  him  with  a  notice  to 
vacate  the  premises,  had  I  not?^'  said  Mr.  Skinner,  with 
an  amused  smile  at  her  perplexity. 

*'  Well — no,  not  just  yet,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  doubt- 
fully ;  "I  think  we  had  better  let  him  worry  a  little 
longer." 

''  Then  you  do  not  feel  certain  that  he  will  yield  ?"  said 
Mr.  Skinner,  with  provoking  indifference. 

''Not  absolutely  certain,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham;  ''and 
yet  I  cannot  see  how  he  can  help  it." 

"Suppose  we  try  the  effect  of  conciliation,"  suggested 
Mr.  Skinner. 

"I  do  not  favor  it,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  decisively. 

"But  suppose  he  does  not  yield,  what  will  you  gain  ?" 
presisted  Mr.  Skinner.  "If  he  does  not,  and  you  force 
him  out,  he  will  be  able  to  cause  us  much  trouble  even 
though  he  does  not  defeat  our  purpose." 

"  But  I  will  not  consent  to  giving  up  my  award,"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  determinedly. 

"0,  you  do  not  need  k)  do  that,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  in 
a  conciliating  tone.  "All  that  you  have  to  do  is  to  claim 
that  you  only  take  this  award  as  a  loan  until  the  estate  is 
settled,  at  which  time  you  will  pay  it  back,  or,  what  is  the 
same  thing,  have  it  charged  against  your  share  of  the  estate. 
Thiri  will  make  you  appear  to  desire  to  take  only  what  the 


240  FOILED. 

will  gives  you,  and  when  Arthur  believes  that  this  is  your 
intention,  he  will  no  longer  oppose  you.'^ 

''You  can  claim  all  you  choose,  but  it  must  not  be  bind- 
ing upon  me,"'  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  a  little  mollified  by 
Mr.  Skinner's  assurances. 

"But  you  must  appear  to  consent  to  it,"  rejilied  Mr. 
Skinner. 

"  Trust  me  for  that,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  confidently. 

"  You  must  also  make  up  your  mind  to  share  with  Edith 
the  amount  you  expect  to  take  from  the  portion  that  be- 
longs to  the  relatives." 

"It  does  not  belong  to  them!"  fiercely  declared  Mrs. 
Graham.  "They  are  only  paupers,  dependent  upon  the 
charity  of  my  husband,  who,  had  he  realized  the  value  of 
his  property,  would  not  have  given  one-third  of  it  to  these 
beggars. " 

"Have  they  any  idea  of  the  amount  they  should  receive  ?" 
inquired  Mr.  Skinner,  with  some  concern. 

"They  have  no  knowledge  of  how  much  they  are  enti- 
tled to,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  confidently,  "for  I  have 
been  particular  to  hide  from  them  the  true  condition  of  the 
estate,  and  on  several  occasions  I  have  written  them  that 
there  was  but  little  to  be  had  after  all  the  debts  were  paid, 
as  the  property  was  heavily  encumbered,  and  Edith'tf  actions 
would  greatly  increase  the  expenses  of  settlement ;  so  they 
do  not  expect  much ;  a  few  hundred  dollars  to  each  one 
will  fully  meet  their  expectations." 

"That  is  very  fortunate,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  "and  I 
am  well  pleased  to  know  that  you  had  the  foresight  to  pre- 
pare them  for  their  fate." 

"  Trust  me  for  that,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  comislacently. 


FOILED.  2-i\ 

*'I  have  studied  the  mastter  too  long  to  overlook  such  im- 
portant  features  as  this." 

"  But  you  must  appear  to  be  giving  them  what  belongs 
to  them/'  said  Mr.  Skinner,  well  pleased  with  the  progresE 
he  was  making  ;  "  however,  we  can  arrange  that  afterwardo 
Now,  suppose  I  were  to  go  to  Arthur  and  assure  him  that 
you  desire  peace  and  harmony,  and  have  his  and  Edith's 
best  interests  at  heart ;  that  all  this  trouble  arises  from  a 
misunderstanding  between  you,  rather  than  from  any  desire 
on  your  part  to  injure  him." 

"  That  would  be  a  very  pretty  story,  Mr.  Skinner,  but  he 
would  not  believe  you,  for  he  knows  better  than  that." 

'"But  suppose  that  after  I  have  told  him  this,  I  point  out 
the  impossibility  of  either  one  of  you  gaining  an  advantage 
if  you  continue  this  quarreling,  and  then  tell  him  that  yom 
will  consent  to  divide  the — the  spoils,  as  it  were — how 
would  that  do  ?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  that  he  is  to  have  as  large  a  share  as  I  ?" 
inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  uneasily. 

"  Yes,  practically  the  same." 

"I'll  not  consent  to  it,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  angrily  ;  "1 
might  as  well  get  it  all  or  lose  it  all. " 

"  But  the  chances  are  that  you  will  lose  it  all,"  replied 
Mr.  Skinner,  dryly. 

''There's  no  use  in  making  two  bites  of  a  cherry,"  sai& 
Mrs.  Graham,  plaintively. 

"Then  double  the  size  of  the  cherry,"  suggested  Me. 
Skinner. 

"But  the  relatives  will  not  allow  us  to  take  too  big  s, 
slice." 

16 


242  FOILED. 

"  0,  they  need  not  know  about  it  and  cannot  find  out," 
replied  Mr.  Skinner,  confidently. 

''Well,  you  may  try  it,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  thought- 
fully ;  ''  but  if  you  fail  the  rebel  shall  feel  my  power — tell 
him  that." 

''Well,  I  will  see  him,  Mrs.  Graham,  and  if  I  find  him 
favorably  inclined  I  will  bring  him  to  your  house  and  you 
can  invite  us  to  take  tea  with  you,  and  when  Arthur  expe- 
riences the  pleasure  of  again  being  on  friendly  terms  with 
you  he  will  be  only  too  well  pleased  to  have  it  continue  and 
will  readily  assent  to  all  tliat  we  propose." 

"0,  but  that  will  not  do  at  all,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
hastily.  "  In  the  first  place,  Arthur  is  inclined  to  speak 
pretty  plainly  if  things  do  not  suit  him  ;  then,  too,  uncle 
Webster  would  be  present,  which  would  make  it  rather  em- 
barrassing." 

"  Then  we  must  wait  until  Mr.  Graham  goes  home," 
said  Mr.  Skinner;  "and  I  will  risk  Arthur's  disapproval  if 
I  decide  to  bring  him  to  the  house,  for  I  shall  not  do  so 
"until  I  am  sure  that  he  will  consent  to  join  us." 

"  I  shall  leave  you  to  do  most  of  the  talking,"  continued 
Mrs.  Graham. 

"If  you  will  play  the  hospitable  hostess  I  will  willingly 
do  the  talking,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  with  a  grin  of  satis- 
faction. 

"  0,  I  can  easily  do  that."  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  smiling. 

"All  right,  then ;  you  let  me  know  when  Mr.  Graham 
has  gone  and  then  I  will  see  Arthur  and  fix  the  matter  with 
him,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner. 

Several  days  had  passed,  and  yet  Arthur  had  not  obtained 


FOILED.  '  243 

his  power  of  attorney.  He  began  to  fear  that  Mr.  Skinner  had 
advised  against  this  course  until  after  he  liad  agreed  to  pay 
his  rent.  His  doubts  were  in  no  measure  relieved  when  he 
received  a  request  from  Mr.  Skinner  to  call  at  his  office,  as 
he  had  some  important  matters  that  he  wished  to  talk  over. 

''It  must  be  the  lease/'  thought  Arthur,  ''for  the  other 
requires  no  discussion,"  and  in  a  very  uncomfortable  mood 
he  entered  lawyer  Skinner's  office. 

"  I  sent  for  you,"  began  Mr,  Skinner,  pleasantly,"  to  ex- 
plain the  delay  in  regard  to  the  power  of  attorney.  I  have 
drawn  it  and  it  is  ready  to  be  signed,  but  as  Webster  Gra- 
ham has  returned  to  his  home,  it  will  have  to  be  sent  to 
him  for  his  signature,  but  it  will  get  back  in  a  few  days  at 
the  farthest." 

''0,"  said  Arthur,  much  relieved,  "I  thought  you 
wanted  me  to  sign  a  lease  for  my  store." 

"No,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  confidentially,  "Mrs.  Gra- 
ham is  not  inclined  to  press  that  matter  just  yet.  She  is 
hoping  that  you  will  feel  more  friendly  toward  her,  in 
which  ca^e  I  think  she  will  let  the  matter  droiJ," 

Arthur  made  no  reply,  but  quietly  waited  for  Mr,  Skin- 
ner to  continue. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  that  this  trouble  has  arisen  between 
you  and  Mrs.  Graham,"  continued  Mr.  Skinner,  "for  it 
seems  to  me  that  you  both  are  acting  opposite  to  your  best 
interests.  I  have  no  more  reason  to  favor  her  side  than 
yours,  Arthur,  and  am  not  employed  as  her  attorney,  though 
I  know  that  she  seems  to  think  I  am.  I  went  into  this  case 
with  the  understanding  that  I  was  to  act  for  all  the  parties 
interested,  your  wife  as  well  as  any  of  the   others.     Of 


344  FOILED. 

course  Mrs.  Graham  will  be  the  one  to  pay  me  the  money, 
but  the  amount  is  so  small  that  I  would  not  turn  my  hand 
over  for  it ;  so  you  can  see  that  in  talking  as  I  do  I  have 
no  other  motive  than  to  obtain  harmony." 

"What  is  the  amount  ?"  bluntly  inquired  Arthur. 

"Well,  you  see  the  position  she  placed  me  in  was  jiecu- 
liar,  and  I  saw  that  if  I  took  the  case  at  all  I  would  have 
to  take  it  much  below  the  regular  price,  and  we  agreed 
upon  forty  dollars. " 

"Not  a  very  high  priced  lawj^er,  are  you  ?"  replied 
Arthur,  laughing,  "but  I  suppose  there  will  be  enough 
extras  to  help  out." 

"  Yes,  there  will  be  some  extras,  but  not  many.  This 
trial  the  other  day  was  extra,  and  the  estate  has  to  pay  for 
it ;  so  you  see  that  when  I  urge  harmony  I  am  working 
against  my  own  interests." 

"But  you  do  not  charge  the  estate  for  defending  Mrs. 
Graham  in  her  claim  against  it,  do  you  ?  "  inquired  Arthur, 
indignantly. 

"  Well — I  had  not  thought  of  it  in  that  light,"  replied 
Mr.  Skinner,  a  little  disconcerted  by  Arthur's  pointed 
questions  ;  "but  however  that  maybe,  you  can  easily  under- 
stand that  I  am  an  uninterested  person  when  I  say  that  it  is 
not  to  your  interest  to  quarrel  with  Mrs.  Graham.  lam 
certain  that  she  only  needs  to  know  what  you  desire  in 
order  that  she  may  bring  it  about,  for  in  a  conversation 
with  her  only  a  few  days  ago  she  assured  me  that  she  was 
ready  and  willing  to  do  all  in  her  power  to  make  you 
satisfied.'" 

"She  has  a  very  peculiar  way  of  showing  her  good  inten- 


FOILED.  345 

tions,"  replied  Arthur,  sententiously.  ''If  she  is  so 
anxious  to  do  what  is  right,  why  does  she  demand  her 
award,  why  does  she  write  such  insulting  letters  to  my  wife, 
and  why  does  she  crowd  me  to  the  wall  by  demanding  that 
I  pay  her  five  hundred  dollars  a  month  as  rent  for  my 
store  ?  " 

"  In  regard  to  her  award,''  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  quietly, 
"  I  desire  to  say  that  it  is  a  matter  that  seems  to  be  mis- 
understood by  you  and  your  wife  ;  and  in  justice  to  Mrs. 
Graham,  I  would  like  to  ask  you  to  tell  me  how  she  could 
support  herself  during  the  time  the  estate  is  being  settled 
if  she  did  not  have  this  award  ?  " 

*'  She  could  use  the  money  that  is  collected  from  the 
tenants,  Mr.  Skinner,  and  neither  Edith  nor  I  would  object 
to  that,  and  in  the  final  settlement  the  amount  she  used 
could  be  deducted  from  her  share. " 

"Now,  my  dear  boy,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  smiling  at  the 
readiness  with  which  Arthur  had  fallen  into  the  trap,  "  that 
is  exactly  what  this  award  amounts  to.  The  money  that  she 
receives  on  this  award  must  come  from  the  tenants,  and  in 
the  final  settlement  her  share  is  made  that  much  lesSo  This 
is  just  as  you  propose,  but  much  better  for  you,  for  it 
limits  the  amount.  So  that  this  widow's  award,  concerning 
which  there  has  been  so  much  misunderstanding  and  trouble, 
might  be  considered  as  a  limiting  of  the  amount  the  widow 
can  use  to  a  certain  and  fixed  sum." 

"Are  you  sure  that  she  has  to  pay  it  back  ?"  inquired 
Arthur,  doubtfully. 

"  Well,  I  have  had  considerable  experience  in  probate 
law  and  think  I  know  what  I  am  talking  about,"  replied 


246  FOILED. 

Mr.  Skinner,  well  pleased  at  the  impression  his  words  had 
made  upon  Arthur. 

"What  you  say  looks  reasonable/'  replied  Arthur, 
thoughtfully,  ''and  if  it  is  true,  there  is  no  reason  why  I 
should  oppose  her  taking  this  award. ^' 

"  That's  it,  Arthur — that's  it  exactly  ;  and  I  am  well 
pleased  to  find  you  so  ready  to  admit  your  error  when  you 
are  convinced  that  you  are  in  the  wrong." 

"  I  trust  that  I  may  always  have  the  good  sense  to  do  so, 
Mr.  Skinner  ;  for  a  person  who  will  not  admit  that  he  is 
mistaken  when  it  is  proven  to  him,  must  be  but  a  very  poor 
apology  for  a  man." 

"That's  true,"  quickly  replied  Mr.  Skinner  j  "but 
Arthur,  as  you  have  been  good  enough  to  admit  that  you 
may  have  been  mistaken  in  your  judgment  of  Mrs.  Graham, 
I  can  see  no  reason  now  why  you  should  continue  this 
quarrel.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  much  better  to 
forget  the  past,  and  from  this  time  on  work  with  Mrs. 
Graham  for  your  mutual  good." 

"As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  would  be  pleased  to  see 
this  take  place,"  replied  Arthur  ;  "  but  Mrs.  Graham  is  not 
the  person  to  willingly  concede  anything,  and  I  doubt  very 
much  if  she  would  consent  to  overlook  our  past  unpleasant 
meetings  and  let  the  matter  die  a  natural  death." 

"That  is  the  way  she  may  feel  if  you  continue  to  dis- 
believe her  kindly  intentions  toward  you,"  replied  Mr. 
Skinner,  earnestly;  "but  fortunately  I  happen  to  know 
that  she  is  now  more  inclined  to  meet  you  half  way  than 
at  any  other  time  since  this  trouble  began,  and  I  am  very 
anxious  that  you  will  consent  to  take  advantage  of  it  ;  and 


FOILED.  247 

]f  we  were  to  go  there  and  finish  the  rest  of  our  business  in 
her  presence,  and  in  this  informal  manner  bring  about  a 
mutual  understanding,  she  would  undoubtedly  invite  us  to 
take  tea  with  her,  and  everything  from  this  time  on  be 
friendly  and  pleasant." 

"I  doubt  the  propriety  of  my  going  to  her  house  with- 
out an  invitation,"  replied  Arthur,  thoughtfully  ;  "for,  as 
you  know,  our  feelings  toward  each  other  have  been  quite 
bitter,  even  though  from  the  exterior  appearance  you  might 
believe  it  to  have  been  just  the  reverse." 

"  If  there  has  been  any  feeling  in  the  matter  it  has  been 
on  your  part,  Arthur,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  confidently;  "for 
I  know  that  Mrs.  Graham  desires  nothing  more  than  that 
she  may  do  you  justice  and  have  an  end  of  this  trouble. 
This  I  know  to  be  so,  and  earnestly  desire  to  impress  you 
that  it  is  so,  in  order  that  yon  may  not  lose  this  opportunity 
that  she  now  offers  you." 

*'  You  have  been  deceived  by  appearances,  Mr.  Skinner," 
replied  Arthur,  confidently  ;  ''for if  you  think  that  Mrs. 
Graham  has  not  and  does  not  feel  bitter  hatred  of  Edith 
and  myself,  you  do  not  know  her  feelings,  that's  all." 

''I  do  not  wish  you  to  understand  that  I  believe  Mrs, 
Graham  has  always  felt  friendly  toward  you  or  never  been 
angered  at  your  actions,"  quickly  replied  Mr.  Skinner. 
"On  the  contrary,  I  know  that  she  has,  and  these  letters 
you  have  spoken  of  are  only  a  proof  that  such  is  the  case  ; 
and  yet  I  must  say  that  she  has  often  expressed  more 
sorrow  than  anger  at  what  she  called  your  mistaken  course  ; 
but  the  moment  she  knows  that  you  admit  you  may  have 
misjudged  her,  that  moment  she  is   ready  to  sweep  all  tl'.tt 


148  FOILED. 

las  passed  into  oblivion  and  never  refer  to  it  again.  What 
more  could  you  ask  than  this,  Arthur  ?  " 

''  If  I  only  felt  sure  that  this  was  so,  I  would  willingly 
go  with  you,  Mr.  Skinner ;  but  something  tells  me  that 
either  you  or  I  do  not  understand  her. " 

"  There  is  no  better  way  to  prove  the  truth  of  what  I 
say  than  to  make  the  trial,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  con- 
fidently, "and  you  will  have  no  better  opportunity  than 
now.  I  would  advise  you,  Arthur,  for  your  own  good,  to 
go  with  me  ;  but  beyond  that  conies  the  question  of  what  is 
just  and  manly,  and  what  is  your  duty.  If  you  have 
misjudged  her,  your  course  is  plain." 

"I  will  go,"  said  Arthur,  determinedly. 

•''Then let  us  go  at  once,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  anxious  to 
iiave  the  matter  settled  while  Arthur  was  favorably  inclined ; 
and  as  they  left  his  office  he  continued  :  "  We  must  be 
careful  that  nothing  disagreeable  occurs  at  our  first  meeting. 
She  will  be  more  or  less  doubtful  of  your  friendly  feelings, 
as,  no  doubt,  you  will  be  of  hers  ;  but  if  we  can  arrange  it 
so  that  this  meeting  shall  be  entirely  pleasant,  it  will  be  no 
difficult  matter  to  have  all  the  others  so,  and  for  this  reason 
I  would  like  to  have  you  let  some  of  the  matters  that  have 
eaused  ill  feeling  rest  until  some  future  time,  with  the 
understanding  that  they  are  then  to  be  talked  over  and 
arranged  :  for  if  all  of  them  were  brought  to  her  attention 
at  this  time,  it  might  make  her  feel  antagonistic  and  arouse 
lier  suspicions." 

"  I  recognize  the  force  of  what  you  say,"  replied  Arthur  ; 
"  but  there  is  one  thing  that  I  must  ascertain  before  I  will 
consent  to  discharge  Mr.  Blood,  and  that  is,  if  she  intends 


FOILED.  249 

to  pay  to  the  estate  the  amount  of  her  award,  or  if  she 
intends  to  take  it  in  excess  of  what  the  will  gives  her. " 

"  0,  certainly,  that  would  be  no  more  than  right/' 
replied  Mr.  Skinner,  a  little  uneasy  at  Arthur's  persistence 
in  clinging  to  the  main  question;  *'but  what  I  mean  is,' 
that  it  would  be  unwise  to  ask  her  about  the  letters  she 
wrote  your  wife,  and  this  and  that,  all  at  our  first  meeting  ; 
for  you  can  see  that  it  might  be  very  aggravating  to  her 
under  the  circumstances,  and  much  better  to  defer  it  until 
some  other  time.  Now  you  can  decide  what  questions  you 
desire  to  have  settled  first  and  ask  them,  but  let  the  others 
wait  until  some  future  time." 

"■J  shall  do  nothing  to  aggravate  her,  Mr.  Skinner,  and 
I  hope  she  will  be  as  considerate  toward  me  ;  but  the  ques- 
tion that  must  be  decided  is  this  one  of  the  award." 

Mr.  Skinner  was  evidently  in  doubt  how  Mrs.  Graham 
would  answer  this  question,  and  as  they  neared  her  resi- 
dence it  became  apparent  that  he  did  not  feel  confident  of 
the  success  of  his  mission,  and  with  his  mind  thus  occuijied 
his  conversation  became  more  and  more  restrained  until,  as 
they  stood  upon  the  steps  while  waiting  the  servant's 
appearance  at  the  door,  his  usual  volubility  entirely 
deserted  him  and  silence  fell  upon  them. 

'^It  would  place  me  in  a  very  disagreeable  position," 
thought  Arthur,  '^if  he  has  invited  me  here  under  a  mis- 
apprehension of  her  feelings  and  without  a  knowledge  that 
she  would  consent  to  reconciliation,  and  from  his  apparent 
nervousness  I  am  half  inclined  to  believe  that  this  is  the 
case ;  but  I  will  keej)  my  eyes  ojien  and  let  them  do  the 
talkino-  until  I  find  out." 


250  FOILED. 

As  Mrs.  Graham  entered  the  room,  her  eyes  sought  Mr. 
Skinner's  for  some  indication  of  Artliur's  intentions,  and 
finding  him  worried  and  unusually  quiet,  she  turned 
toward  Arthur  and  acknowledged  his  presence  only  by  a 
cold  and  formal  inclining  of  her  head  in  the  direction  in 
which  he  sat ;  meeting  with  as  formal  an  acknowledgment, 
she  seated  herself  and  awaited  Mr.  Skinner's  pleasure. 

"  He  was  very  foolish  to  bring  me  here,"  thought 
Arthur,  as  he  watched  Mr.  Skinner's  efforts  to  appear  easy 
in  Mrs.  Graham's  presence. 

Mrs.  Graham's  lips  slightly  curled  with  scorn  as  she  sur- 
veyed the  pitiable  picture  that  Mr.  Skinner  presented,  as 
she  inquired  : 

"And  to  whom  am  I  indebted  for  the  pleasure  of  your 
presence  ?" 

''  I  brought  Arthur  here  in  accordance  with  our  agree- 
ment," began  Mr.  Skinner,  but  quickly  recognizing  by  the 
angry  glance  of  Mrs.  Graham  that  he  had  made  a  mistake, 
he  awkwardly  hesitated  a  moment  and  then  continued — 
"  so  that  he  might  pay  you  the  money  he  had  collected." 

Arthur  could  hardly  repress  a  smile  as  he  recognized  Mr. 
Skinner's  blundering  attempt  to  open  the  conversation. 

"  You  must  mean  the  power  of  attorney,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  smiling  at  Mr.  Skinner's  confusion,  "  for  we  have 
had  a  full  settlement  of  all  that  he  has  collected,  and  I 
think  Arthur  so  understands  it." 

''I  hold  a  receipt  for  all  that  I  have  collected,"  replied 
Arthur. 

"  0,  yes,  I  mean  the  power  of  attorney,"  replied  Mr. 
Skinner,  hastily  correcting  himself.     ''I  told  him  that  it 


FOILED.  251 

would  not  reach  him  for  a  few  days,  as  we  had  met  with 
some  delays." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  inquiringly. 

''It  looks  very  much  as  if  his  attempt  at  reconciliation 
would  fail,"  thought  Arthur,  while  Mrs.  Graham^s  face 
plainly  showed  the  disgust  she  felt  at  the  blundering  man- 
ner in  which  Mr.  Skinner  was  handling  the  matter. 

"  I  cannot  mention  the  former  misunderstanding  now," 
thought  Mr.  Skinner,  "  for  it  would  only  complicate  mat- 
ters ;  and  as  she  shows  no  disposition  to  aid  me,  I  must  see 
Arthur  alone  and  tell  him  all  our  plans  and  get  his  consent, 
and  then  I  can  settle  the  matter  with  her." 

"  I  only  wanted  you  to  confirm  what  I  have  already  told 
him,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  with  a  look  that  she  could  not 
misunderstand  ;  and  rising,  he  continued  :  ''  As  you  have 
done  so,  I  think  we  had  better  be  going." 

"I  am  sorry  that  you  find  it  necessary  to  hurry  away," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  a  little  sarcastically,  and  then  turn- 
ing to  Arthur  she  asked:  ''And  when  shall  I  see  you 
again  ?" 

"  I  cannot  say,"  replied  Arthur,  "  I  have  but  little  time 
for  calling." 

"  I  should  be  pleased  to  see  you  at  any  time,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  graciously. 

"  I  shall  remember  your  invitation,  and  will  call  when  I 
have  any  imjiortant  business  I  wish  to  transact,  and  will  be 
free  to  tell  you  what  it  is,"  replied  Arthur,  with  ill-con- 
cealed merriment. 

Mrs.  Graham's  only  answer  was  a  smile,  as  she  recog- 
nized the  application  of  his  reply. 


252  FOILED. 

"  I  thought  you  said  Mrs.  Graham  would  invite  us  to 
take  tea  with  her  ?"  said  Arthur,  witli  a  half  malicious  smile, 
when  they  were  out  of  her  hearing. 

''  So  I  did,  Arthur,  but  I  must  have  counted  without  my 
hostess  ;  but  we  can  adjourn  to  some  other  table,  and  with 
a  host  equally  as  agreeable.  I  was  not  well  pleased  with 
her  reception  of  us,  and  would  not  have  staid  if  she  had 
asked  me.  But  let  us  go  in  here  and  get  a  table  by  our- 
selves, where  we  can  talk  the  matter  over  while  we  are  eat- 
ing," and  followed  by  Arthur  he  entered  one  of  the 
elegantly  furnished  restaurants  which  abound  in  every 
large  city,  and  motioning  Arthur  to  a  table  in  one  of  the 
most  secluded  corners,  took  a  seat  facing  him.  Here  he 
felt  at  ease,  and  met  with  more  success  in  bringing  his 
conversation  to  bear  upon  the  subject  he  desired  to  make 
known. 

''Mrs.  Graham  knew  why  we  called,"  began  Mr.  Skin- 
ner, ''but  she  was  so  much  embarrassed  by  the  memory  of 
past  occurrences  that  she  would  give  me  no  opportunity  to 
approach  the  subject." 

"  "Was  she  the  only  one  who  felt  that  way,  Mr.  Skinner?" 
inquired  Arthur,  with  a  knowing  smile. 

"I  do  not  wonder  that  you  felt  it,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner, 
without  appearing  to  understand  Arthur's  meaning,  "but 
I  was  so  intently  watching  her  in  hopes  that  she  would 
open  the  way  for  me  that  I  did  not  notice  it." 

"But  I  could  not  help  but  notice  your  embarrassment," 
replied  Arthur,  laughing,  "  it  was  so  very  apparent." 

"  I  was  more  provoked  than  embarrassed,"  replied  Mr. 
Skinner,  testily. 


FOILED.  253 

'•  I  thiuk  it  would  be  very  interesting  to  witness  one  of 
your  conferences  in  relation  to  estate  matters  if  you  are 
always  so  formal  as  you  were  to-day. " 

"0,  we  have  no  trouble  in  that  way/'  replied  Mr.  Skin- 
ner ;  *'  but  I  think  it  was  her  doubts  of  how  you  were  dis- 
posed to  act  that  made  her  so  formal.  You  see  she  is  very 
proud  and  dislikes  to  appear  to  be  the  first  to  make  conces- 
sions, but  as  soon  as  she  knows  your  intentions  she  will 
readily  assent  and  once  more  become  friendly/and  this  mu- 
tual understanding  was  what  I  was  anxious  to  bring  about ; 
for,  as  I  told  you  this  afterucon,  it  is  much  better  for  all 
of  the  interested  parties  to  agree  and  work  peaceably 
together,  but  in  the  case  of  yourself  and  Mrs.  Graham  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  ;  your  interests  are  identical,  they  lie  in 
the  same  channel,  and  you  must  gain  or  lose  together." 

Mr.  Skinner^s  manner  had  changed,  and  he  was  now 
so  earnest  in  what  he  was  saying  that  Arthur  wondered  what 
the  cause  could  be.  "  He  has  some  object  in  trying  to  im- 
press me  in  this  way/"*  he  thought,  ''or  something  of  im- 
portance to  tell  me,  and  I  will  wait  and  see. " 

''I  have  told  Mrs.  Graham  the  same  as  I  have  just  told 
you,"  continued  Mr.  Skinner,  ''and  she  fully  realizes  its 
great  importance  ;  and  if  now  you  'and  Mrs.  Graham  were 
to  become  friends  once  more,  and  work  together,  it  would 
result  in  a  gain  to  each  of  you  of  many  thousands  of 
dollars." 

"  I  cannot  see  how,"  replied  Arthur,  doubtfully,  "  unless 
you  mean  that  we  would  be  saved  the  expense  of  litigation, 
and  I  would  not  be  required  to  pay  this  fearfully  high 
rent. " 


254  FOILED. 

"  That  would  be  one  way,  Arthur  ;  for,  as  I  told  you, 
Mrs.  Graham  is  not  inclined  to  press  that  matter  except  as 
a  last  resort.  But  this  is  not  the  most  important  reason  ; 
for  if  you  and  Mrs,  Graham  could  agree,  she  would,  no 
doubt,  let  you  continue  without  paying  rent,  just  as  Mr. 
Graham  intended  you  should." 

''How  did  you  find  that  out?"  demanded  Arthur, 
quickly. 

"0,  I  don't  remember  just  how  I  found  it  out,  Arthur  ; 
but  never  mind  that  now." 

"  Then  you  do  know  that  there  was  an  agreement  that  I 
should  pay  no  rent  for  that  store  ?"  demanded  Arthur. 

''  I  understood  in  some  way  that  you  Avere  to  have  the 
store  rent  free  so  long  as  Mr.  Graham  lived,  or  something 
of  that  kind,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  uneasily. 

"  If  you  understood  it  at  all,  you  understood  that  it  was 
forever,"  said  Arthur,  decisively. 

"  Well,  we  can  discuss  that  at  some  other  time,"  replied 
Mr.  Skinner,  anxious  to  change  the  subject. 

"  I  do  not  care  to  argue  the  point,  Mr.  Skinner ;  I  am 
satisfied  to  know  that  Mrs.  Graham  understands  it  as  it  was, 
and  now  I  know  that  she  does,  even  though  she  has  denied 
it." 

"That  is  a  matter  that  is  very  easily  settled,  Arthur," 
continued  Mr.  Skinner;  "for  if  you  and  Mrs.  Graham 
can  agree,  I  know  she  will  be  willing  to  carry  out  that 
agreement  and  take  your  word  as  to  what  it  was  ;  but  a 
much  more  important  matter  than  that  is  for  you  to  agree 
how  you  would  like  to  have  the  property  divided.  It  will 
soon  become  necessary  for  the  court  to  appoint  three  or 


FOILED.  255 

more  persons  to  divide  and  apportion  it  to  the  parties  inter- 
ested. Now,  if  yon  and  Mrs.  Graharu  could  decide  uj^on 
these  persons,  and  choose  only  those  whom  you  could  de- 
pend upon  to  do  as  you  desire,  it  would  be  no  difficult  mat- 
ter to  have  the  court  appoint  them." 

"In  other  words,"  interposed  Arthur,  with  a  knowing- 
smile,  "  it  would  be  the  same  as  in  the  appraisement  of  the 
j^ersonal  property  and  widow's  award." 

"After  this  was  accomplished,"  continued  Mr.  Skinner, 
without  noticing  Arthur's  interruption,  "you  and  Mrs. 
Graham  could  decide  upon  the  pieces  of  property  you  de- 
sire to  take  and  have  these  appraisers  set  a  very  low  valua- 
tion upon  them — very  low ;  and  the  small  portion  that  re- 
mains for  the  others,  the  charity  folks,  as  Mrs.  Graham 
calls  them,  let  their  portion  be  apjjraised  very  high.  In 
this  way  you  and  Mrs.  Graham  will  get  nearly  all  of  the 
property,  while  the  small  portion  allotted  to  the  others  will 
fully  meet  their  expectations  ;  for  Mrs.  Graham  has  already 
made  them  believe  that  there  will  be  but  little  coming  to 
them,  as  the  estate  is  greatly  in  debt.  In  this  way  you  and 
Mrs.  Graham  will  get  the  difference  between  what  they  will 
receive  and  what  the  will  gives  them.  Now,  Arthur,  is'nt 
that  a  splendid  scheme?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner,  as  he 
leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  rubbed  his  hands  in  glee. 

"But,  sir,  this  is  nothing  less  than  robbery  !"  said  Ar- 
thur, in  astonishment. 

"Aye,  so  it  is,  Arthur  ;  but  you  get  your  full  share  of  it." 

"And  does  Mrs.  Graham  consent  to  this?"  demanded 
Arthur. 

"  0,  yes  ;  I  obtained  her  consent  before  I  came  to  you." 


256  FOILED. 

''You  explained  it  to  her  just  as  you  have  to  me,  and 
she  gave  her  consent  ?  "inquired  Arthur,  earnestly. 

"  Yes,  fully  ;  and  she  not  only  consented,  but  urged  me 
to  see  you.  0,  she  is  all  right ;  you  need  have  no  fears  con- 
cerning her,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  as  he  leaned  forward 
and  looked  earnestly  at  Arthur. 

"  I  have  believed  her  to  be  capable  of  almost  any  crime, 
now  I  know  her  to  be  !"  said  Arthur,  with  passionate  em- 
i:)hasis. 

Mr.  Skinner  started  back  in  amazement  at  this  unex- 
pected denouement,  and  after  surveying  Arthur  for  a 
moment,  said,  hoarsely  :  "  Then  you  will  not  accept  this 
oSer?'' 

"  No,  sir,  I  will  not !  These  peoi^le  that  Mrs.  Graham  pro- 
poses to  rob  are  my  relatives,  and  I  shall  see  to  it  that  they 
know  of  this,"  reiDlied  Arthur,  his  eyes  flashing  with  in- 
dignation. 

"  That  is  a  very  pretty  theory,  Arthur,  and  quite  senti- 
mental," rc'iolied  Mr.  Skinner,  sneeringly,  ''  but  it  is  far 
from  being  good  business  policy  ;  for  these  same  relatives, 
if  they  had  the  chance  that  I  now  offer  you,  would  accept 
it  at  once,  and  this,  too,  regardless  of  their  relationship  to 
you  or  your  wife.  Now,  Arthur,  don^t  foolishly  decide 
this  matter  while  your  blood  is  up,  for  it  is  only  once  in  a 
lifetime  that  such  an  offer  is  made.  You  need  take  no  part 
in  it,  and  need  not  inquire  where  it  comes  from,  or  how. 
Mrs.  Graham  and  I  will  manage  that,  and  you  need  only  to 
quietly  acquiesci.  It  is  too  important  a  matter  to  be  lightly 
disposed  of,  and  you  should  well  consider  it  before  you  de- 
cide." 


FOILED.  25^ 

"  I  will  not  even  consider  it,"  said  Arthur,  vehemently  ; 
"and  you  can  tell  Mrs.  Graham  that  I  say  she  is  but  little 
better  than  a  common  thief. " 

"Beware  how  you  decide,  Arthur,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner, 
now  thoroughly  enraged.  "  If  your  business  is  worth  pre- 
serving, or  if  you  hope  to  get  any  portion  of  this  estate, 
take  heed  before  it  is  too  late,  for  Mrs.  G-raham  has  you  in 
her  power.  You  have  experienced  some  of  the  misery  she 
is  able  to  inflict  upon  you,  and  she  only  waits  for  your  de- 
cision to  make  that  misery  ten  fold  more  woeful  and  ruin 
you  beyond  all  hope  of  recovery,  or  aid  you  to  obtain  all 
that  you  can  desire  or  money  buy  ;  and  she  has  directed  me 
to  say  that  in  case  you  did  not  consent  that  you  should  feel 
that  power." 

"  You  speak  truly  when  you  say  that  we  have  felt  the 
misery  she  can  bestow,'"  replied  Arthur,  now  deathly  pale  ; 
' '  and  though  I  liave  smiled  at  it,  they  are  the  smiles  that 
only  make  wrinkles.  I  have  grown  to  feel  and  expect  the 
cares  and  worries  of  a  man  much  older  than  I  am,  and  all 
because  of  this  power  she  wields  with  so  heavy  a  hand,  and 
which  you  now  threaten  shall  be  increased  ten  fold.  I  tell 
you  this  that  you  may  know  that  I  realize  the  full  extent 
of  your  threat,  and  yet,  knowing  all  this,  I  defy  her!  And 
though  she  had  ten  fold  her  power,  and  were  thrice  the 
devil  that  she  is,  I  would  not  league  with  her — tell  her  that ! 
Good-night,  sir,"  and  Arthur,  hot  with  passion,  left  him  to 
his  reveries. 

Mr.  Skinner's  eyes  followed  Arthur  as  he  left  him,  and 
wlien  he  disappeared  from  sight  his  eyes  sought  the  floor 
while  his  countenance  showed  the  dejection  he  felt.     He 


258  FOILED. 

sat  in  this  position  he  knew  not  how  long,  until  he  felt  the 
presence  of  some  one  standing  near  him,  and  hastily  Look- 
ing np,  saw  an  amused  smile  playing  over  the  features  of 
Mr.  Blood,  as  he  stood  with  one  hand  resting  on  the  back 
of  his  chair, 

''Been  having  a  row,  Skinner  ?" 

''Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  relieved  at  the  opportunity 
of  giving  expression  to  his  thoughts  ;  "tv/o  of  them." 

"  One  would  be  enough  for  me,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  witli 
exasperating  coolness,  "  if  they  were  all  as  fierce  as  the  one 
1  just  witnessed  ;  but  what  was  the  other." 

"  Well,  that  scheme  I  told  you  of  some  time  ago,"  began 
Mr.  Skinner,  moodily,  "resulted  in  an  appointment  at 
Mrs.  Graham's.  I  took  Arthur  there,  and  she  nearly  froze 
us  with  her  icy  formality  and  Vv^e  adjourned  here.  I  thought 
I  had  the  thing  all  fixed,  and  was  sure  he  was  favorably 
inclined,  and  so  told  him  everything,  and  up  to  the  last 
moment  had  no  doubt  but  that  he  would  jump  at  the 
chance.  When  I  had  finished,  he  raised  a  great  hubbub 
,  about  these  folks  being  relatives  of  his,  and  denounced  the 
-whole  scheme  as  one  of  robbery." 

"Well,  he  was  aljout  right,  was  he  not  ?''  inquired  Mr. 
Blood,  sardonically. 

"But  he  is  a  big  fool  to  let  so  great  an  opportunity  pass — 
don't  you  think  so,  Mr.  Blood  ?  " 

"  Yes — as  the  world  goes,  I  think  he  is  ;  but  this  all  comes 
from  interfering  with  my  client,  Mr.  Skinner." 

"  But  I  told  you  all  about  it,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  hastily, 
"and  urged  you  to  place  it  before  him;  you  declined,  until  I 
had  first  obtained  liis  consent." 


FOILED.  259 

"Yon  did  not  get  it,  did  you  ?  "  said  Mr.  Blood,  with  a 
quizzical  smile. 

"  No,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  bitterly,  as  lie  rose  to  leave. 
''He  has  upset  the  whole  thing  by  prating  of  his  relatives, 
and  if  he  informs  them  of  it  he  will  no  doubt  receive  a 
reply  that  will  teach  him  a  well  deserved  lesson." 

"  And  is  he  going  to  do  this  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Blood. 

''So  he  says." 

"Well,  you  must  have  had  a  sorry  night  all  round,"  said 
Mr.  Blood,  consolingly. 

"  Yes,  but  hereafter  I  shall  let  Mrs.  G-raham  do  her  own 
dirty  work  ;  I  am  done."  And  Mr.  Skinner  drew  his  hat 
down  close  over  his  eyes  and  stepped  out  into  the  darkness, 
a  prey  to  his  thoughts. 

"Ha,  ha!"  chuckled^  Mr.  Blood,  "Arthur  must  have 
struck  him  pretty  hard  to  upset  him  so  completely." 

"What  made  you  so  late,  Arthur  ?  "  inquired  Edith,  as  he 
entered  the  house. 

"I  took  supper  with  Mr.  Skinner,  and  he  unfolded  a 
scheme  for  robbing  the  relatives,  the  boldness  of  which 
greatly  astonished  me,  and  wanted  me  to  give  my  consent 
to  join  in  it  with  Mrs.  Graham.  I  let  him  tell  the  whole 
story,  and  found  out  that  Mrs.  Graham  fully  understood 
the  matter  and  had  consented  to  it,  and  then  I  let  him 
know  what  I  thought  of  it.  When  he  found  I  would  not 
consent  to  it  he  threatened  me  with  Mrs.  Graham^s  hot 
wrath,  and  gave  me  the  choice  between  wealth  or  ruin.  I 
denounced  him  and  defied  her  and  left.  But  what  surprises 
me  more  than  her  dishonesty,  is  that  they  should  find  it 
necessary  to  have  me  join  with  them.     I  cannot  account  for 


260  FOILED. 

it,  unless  I  have  gained  some  advantage  that  I  do  not  know 
of  ;  for  up  to  this  time  she  has  been  haughtily  confident  of 
success,  and  now  needs  my  help  or  she  would  not  seek  it. 
If  she  does,  I  pity  her." 

''  The  relatives  should  be  informed  of  this  as  soon  as 
possible,"  said  Edith,  her  face  flushed  with  indignation  at 
the  thought  of  Mrs.  Graham's  intentions,  *'and,  Arthur, 
you  should  go  to  them  and  explain  the  matter,  so  that  they 
will  b6  able  to  protect  themselves." 

''I  have  been  thinking  of  that,"  said  Arthur,  thought- 
fully, ''and  I  am  very  much  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is 
my  duty  to  go  and  tell  them  how  Mrs.  Graham  proposes  to 
rob  them,  and  after  talking  the  matter  over,  we  can  decide 
what  should  be  done.  For  if  Mrs.  Graham  cannot  rob 
them  now,  she  will  only  delay  in  doing  so  until  your  interest 
in  the  estate  is  settled  and  we  are  out  of  her  way,  and  do  it 
then. 

*'  It  is  very  plain  to  me  that  it  is  a  duty  we  owe  to  them 
as  relatives  and  friends,"  said  Edith,  earnestly. 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,  and  I  shall  go,"  said  Arthur,  deter- 
minedly. 

*'  How  soon  can  you  start  ?  "  inquired  Edith,  anxiously.  . 

''  0,  there's  no  such  hurry  as  that,  Edith,"  replied 
Arthur,  much  amused  at  lier  haste.  "  Mrs.  Graham  can  do 
nothing  at  present,  and  I  will  have  plenty  of  time  to  see 
them." 

"  Well,  don't  put  it  off  too  long,"  replied  Edith,  anxious 
for  the  fate  of  her  friends. 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

THE  LIE  DID  ITS    WORK  WELL. 

"  If  yon  are  no  better  lawyer  than  diplomat,  I  fear  we 
shall  fare  but  poorly  at  your  hands,"  said  Mrs.  Graliam 
the  next  morning,  as  with  a  smile  she  entered  Mr.  Skinner's 
office. 

''Your  manner  would  have  chilled  an  iceberg,"  replied 
Mr,  Skinner,  gruffly,  for  he  was  in  no  mood  for  jesting. 
"Arthur  was  all  right  when  we  came  to  your  house,  but 
you  hardly  noticed  him  and  I  could  see  that  he  felt  it." 

''  I  took  my  cue  from  you,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
pleasantly,  "  and  your  face  gave  me  no  indication  that  his 
decision  had  been  favorable.  You  looked  as  downcast  and 
disheartened  as  it  was  possible  for  your  face  to  express,  and 
I  acted  accordingly." 

"But  you  gave  me  no  aid,  even  when  you  realized  that 
I  would  fail  if  you  did  not,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  testily. 

''  But  you  were  to  do  all  the  talking  and  I  was  only  to 
play  the  hospitable  hostess,  and  I  am  sure  you  have  no 
reason  to  find  fault  with  my  part,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
with  an  amused  smile. 

''Well,  the  scheme  has  been  spoiled,"  said  Mr.  Skinner, 

moodily. 

261 


263  FOILED. 

^'0,  no  ;  not  so  bad  as  all  that,  Mr.  Skinner,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham^  banteriugly.  "  I  will  invite  him  to  come  next 
time,  and  then  you  will  see  how  the  matter  should  have 
been  managed  at  first." 

"Yon  may  try  it  if  you  desire,"  replied  Mr.  Sivinner, 
with  assumed  indifference,  "  but  you  will  not  try  it  the 
second  time,  I  can  assure  you  of  that." 

"  0,  it  is  the  lack  of  experience  that  makes  the  difference," 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  an  air  of  conscious  superiority. 
"There  is  need  of  confidence  in  yourself  to  handle  these 
delicate  points  with  grace  and  telling  effect,  and  this  only 
comes  by  experience.  If  women  were  only  allowed  to  prac- 
tice in  our  courts,  I  think  I  know  of  some  who  would  put 
many  of  you  lawyers  to  the  blush  ; "  and  Mrs.  Graham's 
complacent  smile  made  it  evident  of  whom  she  was  thinking. 

"  The  blushing  would  probably  be  on  the  other  side 
when  you  had  been  denounced  as  a  thief  and  your  proposi- 
tion spurned,  as  was  done  by  Arthur  last  night,"  said  Mr. 
Skinner,  as  he  settled  back  in  his  chair. 

"Do  you  mean  that  Arther  has  refused  to  acce^Dt  our 
offer  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  anxiously. 

"  Yes'm,"  reijlied  Mr.  Skinner,  nodding  his  head  know- 
ingly. 

"And  did  you  tell  him  what  I  said  I  would  do?" 
demanded  Mrs.  Graham,  fiercely. 

"  I  did  ;  and  it  had  about  as  much  effect  as  pouring 
water  on  a  duck's  back,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  with  pro- 
voking indifference. 

"  I  must  see  him  and  place  the  matter  in  its  proper 
light,  and  then  he  will  accept  it  quick  enough,"  replied 
Mrs.  Graliam,  confidently. 


FOILED.  263 

"You  are  very  rash  to  make  the  attempt,"  replied  ^Iv. 
Skinner,  "  but  I  admire  your  spirit." 

"Money  is  all  he  cares  for,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  con- 
temptuously ;  "and  either  you  did  not  explain  it  to  him 
properly  or  he  suspicions  our  intentions  to  divide  with 
him." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  learn  that  there  are  some  things 
that  he  cares  more  for  than  money,  Mrs.  Graham  ;  but  you 
can  try,''  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  carelessly. 

"If  you  go  on  in  this  strain,  Mr.  Skinner,  I  shalllose 
what  little  confidence  I  have  had  in  you,"  said  Mrs, 
Graham,  imperiously.  "I  am  surprised  that  you  do  not 
know  that  money  is  what  we  are  all  seeking  for,  in  a  more 
or  less  direct  way,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  Arthur  is  no 
exception.  All  his  actions  in  opposing  us  have  shown  that 
money  was  the  motive  that  u.rgcd  him  on.  His  fir3t 
attempt  Avas  to  defeat  me  in  obtaining  my  award  ;  failing 
in  thjit,  to  have  it  reduced.  To  tell  me  now  that  he  would 
not  accept  the  portion  thus  saved  to  Edith,  would  be  to 
tell  me  something  that  no  sane  25er3on  would  beJievt', 
Money  is  what  he  desires,  and  when  his  confidence  is 
restored  and  he  understands  our  offer  he  will  be  only  too 
willing  to  accept  it,  and  that,  too,  without  questioning." 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Graham,  there  is  no  argument  like  stub- 
born facts,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  wearily.  "After  you 
have  tried  it  you  will  be  able  to  decide  if  my  judgment  is 
correct." 

"  You  will  see,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  complacently. 

"  In  the  meantime,  v/hat  shall  we  do  with  the  power  of 
attorney  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner. 


364  FOILED. 

"  You  must  get  it  to  Arthur  as  soon  as  possible/' 
replied  Mrs.  Graluim,  earnestly;  "  it  will  help  to  make  him 
feel  more  kindly  and  he  will  be  that  much  more  easily 
won. '' 

"I  will  send  it  to  him  at  once,"  said  Mr.  Skinner. 
"  And  when  will  you  see  him  and  obtain  his  consent  ?'' 

"  I  shall  leave  it  for  a  while,  as  I  must  deal  with  tliis 
matter  carefully,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  as  she  arose  to 
leave;  "but  you  need  have  no  fears  on  that  score,  for  I 
will  manage  that." 

"And  what  about  his  rent  ?" 

"  Not  a  word  must  be  said  about  that  until  the  other  is 
settled,"  replied  Mrs  Graham,  quickly.  "  It  might  spoil 
all  our  plans  to  mention  it  now." 

"  I  only  wanted  to  know  your  opinion  and  what  you 
desired  me  to  do,"  rejilied  Mr.  Skinner,  curtly. 

"  It  will  be  time  enough  to  arrange  these  matters  when 
we  have  decided  this  other  and  more  important  one," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham;  "and  until  that  is  decided  I  want 
nothing  done  to  cause  Arthur  trouble  or  make  him  feel 
that  we  are  not  friendly." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner  ;  "  I  will  send  him  the 
power  of  attorney  at  once  and  let  all  the  other  matters  rest 
until  I  hear  from  you." 

And,  very  much  to  his  surprise,  Arthur  soon  afterward 
received  the  coveted  papers  that  gave  him  at  least  one  point 
of  advantage  in  his  unequal  contest  with  Mrs.  Graham.  His 
astonishment  was  in  no  way  abated  when  he  recalled  his 
conversation  with  INIr.  Skinner  and  the  threats  he  had 
then  made  a^-ainst  him.     Those   had  made  him   abandon 


FOILED  265 

all  hope  of  ever  getting  possession  of  the  papers,  and  it  was 
not  until  after  he  had  carefully  examined  them  that  he  could 
believe  them  to  be  what  he  desired  ;  but  finding  that  they 
were,  he  placed  them  where  they  would  be  secure,  and 
began  his  work. 

''I  am  going  to  visit  your  aunt  Hattie,  Editli  ;  would 
you  like  to  go  with  me  ?"  said  Arthur  one  evening  when 
he  returned  home. 

"  What  business  takes  you  there  ?"  inquired  Edith  with 
some  little  surprise. 

"  I  am  going  to  see  if  I  cannot  get  some  explanation  of 
her  actions  toward  you,  replied  Arthur,  determinedly.  "  I 
do  not  find  it  hard  to  understand  why  those  whom  we 
know  but  slightly,  and  even  some  close  friends,  avoid  us, 
but  aunt  Hattie's  actions  I  cannot  understand.  She  can 
hardly  forget  that  her  dead  sister  was  your  mother,  and 
why  she  should  so  willingly  believe  the  report  of  this 
woman  I  cannot  comprehend.  The  least  she  could  have 
done  would  have  been  to  seek  you  and  hear  your  defense. 
This  would  be  the  proper  thing  to  do  if  she  were  only  a 
friend,  but  how  much  more  to  be  expected  in  one  v;ho 
bears  this  closer  relationship.  It  seems  strange  that  she 
could  believe  this  woman's  falsehoods,  even  though  she  had 
much  better  proof  than  her  unsupported  word  ;  but  still 
more  so  when  I  remember  that  at  Mrs.  Graham's  hands 
your  aunt  has  ne.ver  received  favors  or  anything  more  than 
cold  indifference,  and  I  cannot  understand  why  she  should 
so  willingly  desert  you  and  cling  to  her.  To  do  so,  she 
must  stifle  all  feelings  of  kindred  and  be  dead  to  all  sense 
of  Justice,  and  I  am  going  there  to  solve  the  mystery  if  I 
can."' 


266  FOILED. 

"  I  will  go  withyou/^  replied  Edith,  "  for  I  have  felt  the 
loss  of  her  friendship  more  than  that  of  any  one  else. 
Since  my  mother's  death  I  have  always  gone  to  her  for 
counsel  and  advice.  No  one  has  so  nearly  filled  my 
mother's  place  as  she.  I  have  always  believed  her  to  be 
my  friend,  and  would  not  believe  that  she  would  turn 
against  me,  if  by  her  actions  she  did  not  prove  it." 

Fortunately  they  found  aunt  Hattie  at  home,  and  as 
they  entered,  Edith  said  :  '*  We  have  not  seen  you  for  so 
long  a  time,  auntie,  that  Vv^e  thought  we  would  call  and 
find  out  the  reason." 

"  Yes,  it  has  been  some  time  since  I  have  seen  you, 
Edith,"  replied  aunt  Hattie,  whose  manner  betrayed  no 
change  of  feeling  toward  her  niece',  ''but  I  am  getting  old 
and  find  it  is  not  so  easy  to  get  about  as  I  did  formerly  ; 
but  that  need  not  have  kept  you  from  coming  to  see  me." 

"If  I  had  known  that  this  was  all  that  kept  us  apart  I 
should  certainly  have  been  here  long  ago,"  replied  Edith, 
her  old  love  quickly  returning  at  the  sight  of  her  aunt. 

"  What  else  could  there  be,  Edith  ?"  asked  aunt  Hattie, 
quietly. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,  I  am  sure,"  replied  Edith,  doubt- 
fully. 

''What  Edith  means,"  said  Arthur,  in  explanation,  "is 
that  she  feared  your  friendship  was  lost  to  her,  for  she  was 
told  that  you  said  you  did  not  care  to  see  her  again, " 

"And  who  told  you  that,  Edith?"  said  aunt  Hattie, 
with  some  little  surprise. 

"  Mrs.  Graham,"  said  Edith,  in  a  low  voice. 

"I  don't  think  I  ever  said   so,"  replied  aunt  Hattie, 


FOILED.  267 

thoughtfully,  ''and  I  am  sure  I  do  not  feel  so  ;  for  how- 
ever much  I  may  condemn  your  course,  I  cannot  forget 
that  you  are  my  sister's  child." 

"I  found  it  hard  to  believe  ;  but  so  many  of  our  friends 
have  deserted  us  that  I  feel  sure  of  no  one  but  Arthur,  and 
your  long  silence  seemed  to  confirm  Mrs.  Graham's  words." 

"1  never  believe  in  deserting  a  friend,"  replied  aunt 
Hattie,  gravely,  ''even  though  they  sometimes  do  wrong." 

"  You  speak  of  wrong-doing,  auntie,  as  if  I  had  wronged 
you,"  said  Edith,  quickly. 

"Not  me,  Edith;  but  I  fear  you  have  done  wrong  in 
trying  to  break  your  father's  Avill,"  replied  aunt  Hattie, 
sadly.  "  Stewart  Graham  was  one  of  the  most  just  men  I 
ever  knew,  and  he  gave  you  all  that  he  thought  was  right  ; 
and  in  respect  to  his  memory  you  should  have  hesitated  a 
long  time  before  you  publicly  scandalized  his  name  by 
showing  your  dissatisfaction  with  what  he  gave  you." 

"  Why,  aunt  Hattie  !  "  replied  Edith  in  astonishment, 
"  I  have  not  tried  to  break  father's  will.  Who  told  you 
that  I  had?" 

"It  is  not  worth  our  while  to  quibble  over  the  meaning  of 
words,  Edith,"  replied  her  aunt,  gravely.  "Your  father's 
will  should  have  been  law  to  you,  and  it  does  seem  that  you 
were  at  least  unwise  to  rush  so  hastily  into  court  and  at- 
tempt to  obtain  more  than  in  his  judgment  you  were  en- 
titled to." 

"But  I  have  not  done  this,"  said  Edith,  hastily.  "I 
am  and  always  have  been  perfectly  satisfied  with  what  the 
will  gave  me.  I  have  never  tried  to  obtain  more  than  the 
will  gave  me,  have  I,  Arthur  ?     Why  don't  you  speak  and 


268  FOILED. 

tell  her  I  have  not  ?  "  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she 
realized  the  injustice  of  the  accusation. 

"  May  I  ask  if  you  speak  of  your  own  knowledge  ?  "  said 
Arthur,  as  with  an  effort  he  controlled  his  indignation. 

"  It  is  true  that  I  know  this  only  by  what  I  have  heard/' 
replied  aunt  Hattie  ;  ''but  it  has  never  been  denied,  sol 
believed  it  to  be  true." 

"  Did  you  ever  give  Edith  an  opportunity  to  deny  it  ?" 
demanded  Arthur. 

''I  have  not  seen  Edith  since  I  first  heard  it,"  replied 
aunt  Hattie,  uneasily. 

''Aud  who  first  told  you  this  story  ?"  inquired  Arthur, 
earnestly. 

"  It  is  so  long  ago  I  cannot  remember,"  replied  aunt  Hat- 
tie, doubtfully  ;  "  but  it  was  either  Mrs.  Graham  or  uncle 
Webster,  but  I  think  it  was  Mrs.  Graham.'' 

"And  when  she  told  you  this  did  you  not  feel  indignant 
that  she  should  slander  your  niece  in  this  manner  ?"  in- 
quired Arthur,  in  astonishment,  ''and  was  not  your  first 
impulse  to  see  Edith  and  know  its  truth  ?" 

"  Yes,  it  was  ;  bat  why  did  Edith  employ  a  lawyer  ?" 
replied  aunt  Hattie,  loth  to  admit  her  error. 

"  These  are  questions,  aunt  Hattie,  that  should  have 
been  asked  before  you  condemned  Edith.  You  heard  what 
Mrs.  Graham  had  to  say,  and  without  inquiring  into  its 
truth  you  condemn  Edith  and  determine  to  keep  from  see- 
ing her." 

"  But  Edith  could  have  come  to  see  me,"  persisted  aunt 
Hattie. 

"Yes,  and  Mrs.  Graham  was  smart  enough  to  know  it, 


FOILED.  269 

and  so  she  informed  Editli  that  you  said  you  did  not  wish  to 
see  her  again." 

"  But  I  did  not  say  that/'  replied  aunt  Hattie,  positively. 

'^0,  it  was  not  necessary  that  you  should,"  replied  Ar- 
thur ;  it  did  its  work  just  as  well,  for  all  that." 

''But  you  do  not  think  that  Mrs.  Graham  would  tell 
what  is  not  so,  do  you,  Arthur  ?  " 

"I know  she  has  done  so  several  times  already,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  but  that  she  will  many  times  more/'  replied 
Arthur,  bitterly.  ''Did  you  know  that  Mrs.  Graham 
claims  more  than  the  will  gave  her  ?  " 

''I  know  she  did  claim  the  award/'  replied  aunt  Hattie, 
"but  she  did  not  feel  certain  that  Stewart  intended  her  to 
have  it  and  so  she  gave  it  up,  for  she  told  me  so." 

"Aunt  Hattie,"  said  Arthur,  earnestly,  "can  you  con- 
ceive of  a  more  defenseless  position  than  that  in  which  you 
have  placed  Edith  by  thinking  and  acting  in  this  way  ?' 
And  is  it  not  against  all  laws  of  justice  or  common  sense 
to  condemn  Edith  upon  the  statement  of  a  person  whom 
you  now  admit  has  done  all  that  you  charged  Edith  with 
doing,  and  has  tried  to  get  more  than  the  will  gave  her  ?"' 

"But  Edith  did  wrong  in  employing  a  lawyer,"  persisted 
aunt  Hattie,  "for  that  always  means  fight." 

"Let  us  suppose  a  case,"  continued  Arthur,  who  was 
now  determined  to  know  if  aunt  Hattie  could  be  convinced, 
"and  start  with  your  admission  that  Mrs.  Graham  did  claim 
more  than  was  right ;  another  person  equally  interested 
hears  of  it  and  is  denied  the  privilege  of  investigation, 
would  you  condemn  this  person  for  employing  a  lawyer  tO' 
investigate  where  she  could  not,  and  have  him  do  all  he 
could  to  prevent  this  wrong?" 


^170  FOILED. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  much  about  law,"'  replied  aunt 
Hattie,  uneasily,  "  but  I  know  that  when  a  lawyer  enters  a 
case  trouble  is  sure  to  follow,  and  I  am  opposed  to  it.  If 
I  had  been  Edith  I  would  have  saved  this  expense  and  dis- 
grace, for  even  if  Mrs.  Graham  was  disposed  to,  she  could 
not  harm  Edith,  for  the  law  protects  her,  and  Mrs.  Graham 
could  not  change  the  law." 

Arthur  could  not  repress  a  smile  of  scorn  as  he  noticed 
the  vain  attempt  of  aunt  Hattie  to  justify  her  actions,  and 
asked  : 

''  Will  you  tell  me  why  you  credit  Edith  with  more  power 
than  Mrs.  Graham  ?  for  if  Mrs.  Graham  could  not  change 
the  law,  why  do  you  claim  that  Edith  can  ?  If  the  law 
protects  Edith,  wdiy  would  it  not  protect  Mrs.  Graham  ?" 

"All  I  know  is,  that  Edith  has  been  unfortunate  in 
obtaining  bad  advice,"  rei^lied  aunt  Hattie,  positively;  "and 
if  she  had  not  employed  this  lawyer  there  would  have  been 
no  trouble." 

"  It  is  useless  to  talk  on  this  matter  any  longer,''  replied 
Arthur,  now  thoroughly  disheartened.  "I  have  brought  you 
a  copy  of  the  court  records.  This  will  furnish  you  with 
the  facts  in  the  case,  and  give  you  all  the  arguments  that 
we  care  to  show  you.  If  you  will  read  it,  you  will  find 
that  Edith  has  from  the  first  defended,  and  is  now  defend- 
ing, her  father's  will,  while  you  will  find  that  Mrs.  Graham 
has  not  given  up  her  award,  but  is  fighting  to  maintain  it. 
I  should  be  pleased  to  hear  what  you  have  t-o  say  after  you 
have  read  it." 

Being  assured  that  she  would  consider  it,  and  trusting 
thiit  in  the  quiet  and  seclusion  of  her  home  aunt  Hattie 


FOILED.  2?  J 

would  at  last  arrive  at  a  correct  understanding,  Arthur  and 
Edith  left  lier,  only  to  have  their  hopes  blasted  by  receiv- 
ing the  records  a  few  days  afterward,  without  a  word  of 
comment,  while  the  real  thief  cried  '  stop  thief ! '  with 
renewed  confidence. 

"Have  you  noticed,"  began  Mrs.  Brandon,  when  the 
ladies  were  again  gathered  at  the  sewing  society,  "that  of 
hite  Mrs.  Graham  has  figured  quite  conspicuously  in  the 
courts  ?  " 

"  I  heard  that  the  daughter  had  employed  a  lawyer  and 
was  making  her  considerable  trouble/'  replied  Mrs.  Fore- 
man, "but  I  know  nothing  more  than  this." 

"We  heard  rumors  of  that  some  weeks  ago,"  said  Mrs, 
Oray,  quietly,  "but  I  have  no  knowledge  of  how  true  it  is." 

"You  heard  what  Mrs,  G-rahamsaid,"  replied  Mrs.  Adell. 
"^ 'and  that  confirmed  it." 

"  I  mean  that  I  have  no  personal  knowledge  that  it  is 
true,"  replied  Mrs.  Gray. 

"  You  have  no  reason  to  question  Mrs.  Graham's 
veracity,"  said  Mrs.  Adell,  positively. 

'"  What  did  Mrs.  Graham  say  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Rivers, 
with  much  apparent  interest. 

"As  it  can  do  no  good,"  hastily  interposed  Mrs.  Walling- 
ford,  "  I  don't  think  I  would  repeat  it." 

"  Neither  can  it  do  harm,"  replied  Mrs,  Brandon  ;  "for 
if  Mrs.  Graham  has  no  objection  to  telling  it,  we  certainly 
can  have  none. " 

"  Did  not  Mrs.  Graham  request  you  to  say  as  little  as 
possible  on  this  subject  ? "  replied  Mrs,  Wallingford, 
inquiringly. 


372  FOILED. 

"0,  she  said  she  wanted  it  kept  as  quiet  as  possible," 
replied  Mrs.  Brandon,  laughing,  '' but  we  all  understand 
Avhat  that  means." 

"  But  do  you  think  that  Mrs.  Graham  Avould  be  pleased 
to  know  that  you  were  informing  others  of  this  matter  ?  " 
persisted  Mrs.  Wallingford. 

*'  Why,  Mrs.  Wallingford,  your  innocence  would  provoke 
a  smile  were  it  not  that  I  believe  it  to  be  assumed,"  said 
Mrs.  Adell.  "You  know  as  well  as  any  of  us  that  when 
Mrs.  Graham  came  here  and  told  us  that  Edith  was  trying- 
to  rob  her  of  her  share  of  the  estate  by  breaking  her 
father's  will,  that  she  did  it  for  the  purpose  of  letting  us 
know  the  facts  in  the  case,  so  that  we  could  judge  Edith's 
course  correctly  ;  and  the  more  it  is  talked  of  the  more  it 
accomplishes  her  purpose. " 

"  And  is  Edith  trying  to  break  her  father's  will  ?  "  in- 
quired Mrs.  Rivers,  earnestly. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Brandon,  *'  that  is  what  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham tells  us,  and  it  is  undoubtedly  true." 

"  Is  it  not  unwise,  Mrs.  Brandon,  to  talk  of  Edith  in 
this  way?"  inquired  Mrs.  Wallingford.  "Even  though 
she  has  done  all  that  you  charge  her  with,  she  is  still 
entitled  to  protection  from  her  friends  ;  and  as  no  good  can 
come  from  circulating  these  reports,  charity  on  our  part 
should  make  us  try  to  conceal  them  ;  and  then  if  you 
should  find  that  you  had  been  mislead  and  that  Edith  had 
not  done  this,  would  you  not  have  cause  for  regret  ?  " 

"  0,  you  are  too  sentimental,"  replied  that  lady,  laugh- 
ing. ''  After  Edith  has  done  all  she  could  to  rob  Mrs. 
Graham,  it  comes  with  but  poor  grace  to  plead  for 
sympathy. 


FOILED.  273 

''But  if  she  has  not  done  as  you  say,  wliat  then  Y'  per- 
sisted Mrs.  Wallingford. 

"  But  there  is  no  question  of  that,  Mrs.  Wallingford," 
interposed  Mrs.  Adell. 

"There  is  not  only  a  question  of  its  truth,  but  I  have  the 
proof  that  it  is  false,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  firmly. 
'•'  This  proof  is  so  positive  as  to  admit  of  no  doubting,  and 
should  forever  silence  any  farther  questioning  of  Edith's 
actions." 

"' Do  you  mean  that  Mrs.  Graham  has  told  us  what  is 
not  true  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Adell. 

"I  will  tell  you  what  I  know,  and  where  you  can  find 
the  proofs  of  all  I  say,"  said  Mrs.  Wallingford,  "  and  you 
can  draw  your  own  conclusions." 

This  gave  promise  of  such  rich  developments  that  Mrs. 
Wallingford   was   quickly  surrounded   by  eager  listeners,  ■ 
among  whom  Mrs.  Adell  was  not  the  least  anxious  to  gathef' 
every  word. 

"After  Mrs.  Graham's  visit  to  the  society,"  continued 
Mrs.  Wallingford,  "you  will  remember  that  I  made  the 
suggestion  that  it  was  unjust  to  condemn  Edith  without 
first  hearing  what  she  had  to  say.  Acting  on  this  principle, 
I  visited  Edith,  and  she  earnestly  denied  having  any  inten- 
tion of  breaking  her  father's  will." 

"  0,  but  we  could  have  told  you  that  before  you  called," 
interposed  Mrs.  Brandon  ;  "we  knew  she  would  do  so  from 
the  first." 

"Finding  her  denial  so  positive,"  continued  Mrs.  Wal- 
lingford, without  noticing  the  interruption,  "  I  had  Mr. 
Wallingford  search  the  records  of  the  court  in  order  that  I 

18 


274  FOILED. 

might  decide  justly  between  Mrs.  Graham's  statements  and 
Edith's. 

"And  what  did  he  find  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Brandon,  earn- 
estly. 

"  He  found  that  what  Edith  said  was  true  ;  and  more 
than  this,  that  the  false  charges  she  made  against  Edith 
were  true  of  Mrs.  Graham  herself  :  that  instead  of  Edith 
trying  to  rob  her,  she  was  endeavoring  to  take  from  Edith 
that  which  her  father  had  willed  should  be  hers.  Now, 
you  may  jorove  these  statements  or  not,  just  as  yon  desire  ; 
but  you  should  allow  this  slander  against  Edith  to  go  no 
farther  than  it  has.  And  to  clear  myself  from  any  appear- 
ance of  doing  Mrs.  Graham  a  wrong  by  repeating  this,  I 
will  say  that  I  have  told  her  just  what  I  have  told  you,  and 
she  has  not  denied  it.  Had  she  done  so,  or  had  she  shown 
a  disposition  to  check  these  untruthful  stories,  I  should 
never  have  mentioned  the  matter  to  you  ;  but  I  think  you 
will  agree  with  me  now,  that  under  these  circumstances  no 
one  with  a  knowledge  of  the  facts  should  again  repeat  this 
.slander  against  Edith.  If  you  would  for  a  moment  con- 
;sider  Edith  as  the  daughter  of  either  one  of  you,  with  both 
father  and  mother  in  their  graves,  and  the  woman  who  had 
taken  your  place  in  your  husband's  heart  or  home  acting 
toward  your  child  as  Mrs.  Graham  is  acting  toward  Edith, 
you  would  hesitate  before  you  would  aid  her,  and  your 
mother  heart  would  be  pained  at  the  sight  of  a  Christian 
church  being  made  the  fortress  of  the  oppressor,  with  all 
its  power  and  influence  turned  against  your  innocent  and 
uncomplaining  child,  until  she  is  forced  to  give  up  even 
this  source  of  comfort  and  sever  the   ties  of  memory  that 


FOILED.  275 

center  there  as  the  place  of  worship  of  lier  father  and 
mother.  We  chiim  to  be  Christians,  let  us  prove  it  by  our 
acts. " 

"The  fact  that  Edith  does  not  attend  church  is  only  a 
proof  of  her  guilty  conscience  ;  at  least  that  is  the  way  it 
appears  to  me,"  replied  Mrs.  Adell,  with  assumed  indif- 
ference. 

''That  would  be  to  assume  that  the  innocent  are  always 
callous  and  unfeeling,"  replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  quietly. 

"  If  Edith  believes  she  has  not  done  wrong,  she  could 
easily  show  her  belief  by  facing  an  unjust  opinion  and  liv- 
ing it  down,"  rei^lied  Mrs.  Brandon  ;  "  and  I  agree  with 
Mrs .  Adell  that  it  seems  to  be  a  proof  of  guilt  that  she  does 
not  do  so." 

"Some  persons  could  do  that,  but  others  could  not," 
replied  Mrs.  Bartley  ;  "  in  proof  of  which,  we  have  only  to 
watch  the  actions  of  those  concerning  whom  a  scandal  is 
made  public.  Of  these,  you  will  find  some  who  care  but 
little,  and  outwardly  show  no  signs  of  pain  ;  but  generally 
you  will  find  that  it  makes  them  seek  the  seclusion  of  their 
home  until  the  matter  is  forgotten  or  they  die  of  broken 
hearts.  To  assume  that  those  who  show  no  concern  are 
innocent,  would  be  an  unjust  conclusion  against  many  sen- 
sitive souls  whose  innocence  we  cannot  question  ;  and  with 
all  due  respect  to  Mrs.  Graham,  I  believe  we  have  in  her  a 
fine  example  of  one  who,  right  or  wrong,  could  face  the 
world  and  defy  its  opinion  ;  and  while  I  admire  it  when  in 
Ike  right,  I  cannot  believe  that  those  who  have  not  this 
disposition  are  necessarily  guilty." 

"Well,  I  am  not  ready  to  believe  that  Mrs.  Graham  ia 


;276  FOILED. 

all  in  the  wrong,  and  Edith  the  demure  and  saintly  creature 
that  she  is  painted,"  said  Mrs.  Adell,  with  some  little 
asperity. 

"  I  think  tiie  truth  of  the  matter  will  be  found  to  lie 
between  the  two  extremes,*'  said  Mrs.  Rivers,  as  she  re- 
sumed her  sewing. 

"  We  should  have  some  consideration  for  Mrs.  Graham's 
desolate  condition,"  said  Mrs.  Foreman,  "and  make  some 
allowance  for  her  actions. " 

*'I  have  no  desire  to  say  what  is  unjust  of  Mrs.  Graham," 
replied  Mrs.  Wallingford,  "but  I  think  you  can  readily 
recognize  the  justness  of  my  defence  of  Edith." 

'"'It  strikes  me  that  you  are  a  little  bit  prejudiced  in 
favor  of  your  client,"  replied  Mrs,  Brandon,  smiling,  "but 
you  make  a  splendid  advocate  for  her  cause.  May  I  depend 
on  your  services  to  defend  me,  Mrs.  Wallingford,  if  I  am 
ever  brought  to  judgment  at  the  bar  of  public  opinion  ?  " 

"  If  I  know  you  to  be  unjustly  accused,  you  certainly 
can,"  replied  that  lady,  quietly,  as  she  gathered  her  sewing 
together  jDreparatory  to  taking  her  leave. 

"I  admire  her  more  and  more,"  began  Mrs.  Gray,  when 
Mrs.  Wallingford  was  out  of  hearing;  "she  is  so  practical 
and  common  sensed." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Adell,  with  a  toss  of  her  head, 
"but  terribly  prejudiced  against  Mrs.  Graham." 

"Then  you  do  not  believe  all  she  says  about  the  court 
records  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Gray,  inquiringly. 

"0,  some  of  it  is  no  doubt  true,"  replied  Mrs.  Adell; 
"  but  when  Mr.  Wallingford  searched  the  records  it  was  for 
the  purpose  of  finding  Mrs.  Graham  guilty,  and  of  course 
he  onlv  found  what  he  desired." 


FOILED.  377 

"0,  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Gray,  despairingly,  "1  am  all  in 
doubt  again.  First  I  believed  Mrs.  Graham,  then  Mrs. 
Wallingford  convinced  me  that  Edith  was  right,  and  now 
I  don't  know  what  to  think." 

''^That  is  because  you  believe  every  story  you  hear,"  said 
Mrs.  Adell,  laughing;  *' but  Mrs.  Wallingford 's  arguments 
have  not  changed  my  opinions  in  the  least," 

'^It  maybe  that  Mrs.  Eivers  was  right  when  she  sug- 
gested that  the  truth  lies  between  the  two  extremes,"  said 
Mrs.  Gray,  doubtfully. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

FAR   FROM    BEIXQ    WORLDLY    AVISE. 

Arthur  had  now  made  his  arrangements  to  visit  his  uncle 
Ralph,  and  as  he  desired  to  leave  all  his  business  in  order, 
he  sought  Mrs.  Graham  that  he  might  give  her  the  money 
he  had  collected.  The  servant  ushered  him  into  the  parlor, 
and  when  Mrs.  Graham  made  her  appearance,  Arthur 
wasted  no  time  in  formalities,  but  proceeded  at  once  with 
the  business  in  hand. 

"As  I  am  going  out  of  the  city,"  began  Arthur,  "1 
thought  best  to  settle  with  you  for  the  rents  I  have  col- 
lected." 

"Money  is  always  acceptable,  Arthur,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  pleasantly.  "  But  what  calls  you  away  so  sud- 
denly ?" 

"  I  an;  going  to  visit  uncle  Ralph, ^'replied  Arthur.  "  But 
unfortunately  I  have  not  much  money  for  you  this  time, 
as  the  bills  for  repairs  have  taken  nearly  all  I  have  collected.^' 

"Repairs  !"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Graham,  her  brow  contract- 
ing with  displeasure  ;  "  and  what  authority  have  you  to  make 
repairs  ?  " 

"I  don't  really  know  that  I  have  any,  except  what  the 
power  of  attorney  gives  me,"  replied  Arthur,  doubtfully. 

278 


FOILED,  279 

"  But  the  city  authorities  gave  me  notice  to  put  in  a  new- 
sidewalk,  and  as  heretofore  I  have  always  made  all  neces- 
sary repairs,  I  had  no  idea  that  you  would  object  to  it  now. " 

"  But  that,  sir,  was  never  for  so  large  an  amount  as  this," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  surveying  the  figures  on  the  bill. 

''But  the  repairs  were  needed;  you -must  admit  that," 
said  Arthur,  confidently,  *'and  the  price  is  reasonable,  is  it 
not?" 

''It  is  true  that  I  have  allowed  you  to  make  some  repairs 
and  bring  me  the  bills  in  place  of  the  money  ;  but  I  w^ill  not 
allow  you  to  assume  my  duties  to  this  extent,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  indignantly. 

"  But,  Mrs.  Graham,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  understand  why 
you  object,"  replied  Arthur;  "for  if  I  had  not  done  this 
you  would  have  had  to  do  it ;  and  if  the  repairs  had  not 
been  made  soon,  the  city  would  have  put  in  the  sidewalk 
and  taxed  you  more  than  double  what  it  costs  now,  and  I 
cannot  see  w^hat  you  would  gain." 

"You  are  simply  my  servant  in  this  matter,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  contemptuously,  "and  I  do  not  care  to  argue  the 
question  with  you  ;  but  you  might  as  well  understand  now 
as  at  any  other  time  that  I  am  the  only  one  who  has  the 
power  to  attend  to  these  matters." 

"Then  you  will  not  accept  these  bills  instead  of  money  ?" 
inquired  Arthur. 

"No,  not  until  I  see  my  attorney  and  hear  what  he  has 
to  say,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  bluntly. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  that  you  have  decided  upon  this  cor.  rse," 
said  Arthur,  "for  the  reason  that  I  would  like  to  have  lliis 
business  settled  before  I  leave." 


280  FOILED. 

"I  will  take  the  money,"  replied  Mrs,  Graham,  conde- 
scendingly, "and  yon  can  hold  the  bills  until  I  decide." 

"  0,  no  ;  that  is  not  my  way  of  doing  business/"''  replied 
Arthur,  determinedly  ;  "you  must  take  all  or  none." 

"Do  you  refuse  to  deliver  this  money  to  me  ?"  demanded 
Mrs.  Graham,  excitedly. 

"Unless  you  accept  these  bills,  I  do,"  replied  Arthur, 
firmly. 

"  I  shall  see  my  attorney  about  this  matter,"  replied  Mrs. 
Graham,  in  a  threatening  manner,"  and  you  will  hear  from 
me  again." 

"In  that  case,"  replied  Arthur,  coolly,  "I  will  bid  you 
good  day." 

Mrs.  Graham  felt  disconcerted  at  Arthur's  firmness,  and- 
lookcd  as  if  she  would  willingly  recall  her  decision  ;  but 
Arthur  gave  her  no  opportunity  to  again  refer  to  the  sub- 
ject, and  her  pride  prevented  her  from  making  any  advances, 
and  when  the  door  closed  upon  his  retreating  form  she  was 
in  no  pleasant  frame  of  mind  ;  but  one  thing  she  had  deter- 
mined upon  :  she  would  write  to  uncle  Ealph  and  inform 
him  of  Arthur's  intended  visit,  for  the  purpose  of  poisoning 
their  minds,  and  advise  them  to  beware  of  his  plausible 
words.  This  done,  she  started  for  Mr.  Skinner's,  to  seek 
consolation  and  advice. 

"I  am  afraid  I  have  been  unwise  in  allowing  Arthur  to 
collect  these  rents,"  began  Mrs.  Graham,  as  slie  seated  her- 
self near  Mr.  Skinner. 

"How  so  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner,  in  surprise. 

"He  has  made  some  very  expensive  repairs,  and  now 
demands  that  the  estate  pay  for  them.     I  declmed  to  accept 


FOILED.  281 

the  bills,  and  lie  refused  to  pay  me  the  money  unless  I 
accei^ted  both." 

"What  rejjairs  did  he  make  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner. 

*'The  principal  item  was  for  a  new  sidewalk.  I  heard  of 
it  some  days  ago  from  Mr.  Fletcher,  who  keeps  watch  of 
how  Arthur  is  acting." 

"  Were  the  repairs  necessary  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner. 

"0,  I  don't  object  to  the  repairs,  or  the  price  ;  but  I  do 
not  propose  to  let  him  act  as  if  he  had  the  right  to  do  this 
without  first  asking  my  consent,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
determinedly. 

"He  has  made  the  repairs  and  jiaid  for  them,  has  he 
not  ?"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  inquiringly. 

"He  has." 

"And  they  were  necessary  and  the  price  reasonable  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  a  little  in  doubt  as  to  Mr. 
Skinner's  intentions. 

"'Well,  Mrs.  Graham,  it  puzzles  me  to  know  exactly  what 
you  desire.  You  cannot  expect  that  he  will  pay  for  these 
repairs  out  of  his  own  pocket,  and  he  would  not  do  it  if 
you  did,  and  I  doubt  very  much  if  you  could  force  him  to  ; 
for  he  has  been  allowed  to  do  this  before,  and  you  have  but 
recently  given  him  the  authority  to  continue  doing  so,  and 
until  yon  revoke  that  power  he  is  aiTthorized  to  do  just 
what  you  are  objecting  to  ;  and  even  if  you  had  the  power 
to  prevent  him,  it  would  be  unwise  to  use  it  at  the  present 
time,  when  you  are  hoping  to  reconcile  him  toward  your 
scheme." 

"  But  if  what  you  say  is  true,  I  have  no  authority  at  all," 
replied  Mrs.  Graham,  in  an  injured  tone. 


282  FOILED. 

"  Not  until  you  revoke  his/'  replied  Mr.  Skinner.  "  But 
the  business  is  handled  well,  gives  you  no  trouble,  and 
should  continue  Just  as  it  is.  Your  personal  pleasure  in 
seeing  him  bow  before  you  should  be  deferred  until  you 
have  decided  this  other  matter,  or  you  feel  that  you  can  do 
without  him  ;  for  Arthur  is  not  easily  trod  upon,  you  know 
that." 

'^But  I  have  told  him  that  I  would  not  consent;  how 
can  I  get  over  that  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham. 

"  I  would  advise  you  to  tell  him  that  this  time  you  will 
accept  these  bills,  but  that  hereafter  he  must  first  ask  your 
consent  before  he  pays  any  bills  or  contracts  for  any  repairs." 

"  That  is  what  I  want,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  evidently 
relieved  at  this  solution  of  the  embarrassing  position  she 
had  placed  herself  in.  "  So  long  as  he  has  to  acknowledge 
my  authority  I  will  be  satisfied." 

"  Mr.  Blood,  what  can  I  do  when  a  woman  refuses  to' 
accept  my  money  ?"  said  Arthur,  as  he  abruptly  broke  in 
upon  the  reveries  of  tlie  attorney. 

''  Well,  Arthur,  that  is  so  rare  a  case  as  to  require  some 
thought,"  smilingly  replied  Mr.  Blood. 

"  Well,  the  facts  are  simply  these,"  continued  Arthur  : 
"  Mrs.  Graham  tried  to  collect  the  rents  and  failed.  She 
then  gave  me  the  authority  to  collect  them  and  attend  to 
all  the  business,  just  as  I  had  formerly  been  doing.  The 
city  served  me  with  notice  to  put  in  a  new  sidewalk.  I 
did  so,  and  presented  the  bill  to  her,  and  she  positively  re- 
fused to  accept  it  in  place  of  the  money  I  had  collected, 
and  claimed  that  I  had  no  authority  to  make  repairs.  She 
then  proposed  that  I  pay  her  what  money  I  had  and  hold 


FOILED.  ;^83 

the  bills  until  she  consulted  her  lawyer.  This  I  refused  to 
do  ;  was  I  right  ?" 

"  Have  you  been  giving  Mrs.  Graham  all  the  money  you 
have  collected  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Blood,  earnestly. 

"  Yes  ;  why  ?"  said  Arthur  inquiringly. 

"And  Edith  has  received  no  jDart  of  it  ?" 

'*No,  sir  ;  not  a  cent. 

''That  is  not  right,  Arthur,  and  hereafter  you  must  give 
Edith  all  that  you  collect.  Keep  a  close  account  of  it,  and 
when  Mrs.  Graham  asks  you  for  it  you  tell  her  that  you 
have  paid  it  to  the  proper  person  and  hold  her  receipt." 

''But  can  I  do  this  ?"  inquired  Arthur,  eagerly. 

"Certainly  you  can." 

"And  Mrs.  Graham  cannot  jorevent  it  ?" 

"  Not  in  the  least." 

"Well,"  said  Arthur,  in  astonishment,  "I  guess  Mrs. 
Graham  made  a  mistake  when  she  refused  to  accept  tlie 
bills.  And,  Mr.  Blood,  can  I  pay  my  store  rent  in  the  same 
way  ?" 

"  Certainly,  Arthur ;  but  I  thought  Mr.  Graham  gave 
you  your  store  rent  free." 

"  So  he  did  ;  but  Mrs.  Graham  made  up  her  mind  that 
she  wanted  five  hundred  dollars  a  month  for  it,  and  I 
thought  she  was  asking  at  least  its  full  value,"  replied 
Arthur,  smiling. 

"She  was  trying  to  make  your  position  too  warm  for  your 
comfort,  that  was  all,"  replied  Mr.  Blood.  "But  if  you 
keep  up  this  quiet  but  firm  resistance,  she  will  come  to  time 
before  long." 

"  She  has,  somewhat,  already,"  quickly  replied  Arthur, 


284      •  FOILED. 

*'  for  her  lawyer  conceived  a  fine  scheme  by  which  the  rela- 
tives were  to  be  robbed  of  nearly  all  that  belonged  to  them, 
while  Mrs.  Graham  and  Edith  were  to  share  equally  in  the 
plunder — " 

''And  you  sj^oiled  their  scheme  by  failing  to  consent/' 
interrupted  Mr.  Blood,  as  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and 
laughed  heartily  at  Arthur's  look  of  amazement. 

"^How  did  you  find  that  out  ?"  demanded  Arthur. 

"  0,  Skinner  came  to  me  before  he  saw  you  and  told  me 
the  whole  scheme.  He  was  very  enthusiastic,  and  felt  cer- 
tain that  he  had  found  a  remedy  for  all  the  trouble.  I  did 
not  relish  the  prospect  of  losing  a  good  paying  case,  and 
when  he  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  it,  I  told  him  that  he 
must  first  obtain  your  consent  and  then  I  would  consider 
it.  Several  days  passed  and  I  had  almost  forgotten  it, 
when  one  evening  I  saw  my  client  in  the  company  of  the  op- 
posing counsel,  and  to  all  appearances  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  him.  Aha  !  thought  I,  so  Arthur  has  consented,  and 
Skinner  has  stolen  a  march  on  me.  But  I  kept  a  close 
watch  upon  you  two  conspirators  " — and  Mr.  Blood's  eyes 
twinkled  merrily — ''until  I  was  nearly  tired  out,  when,  to 
my  surprise,  you  jumped  up,  and  as  I  thought  prepared  to 
strike  him.  You  might  as  well  have  done  so  as  far  as  he 
was  concerned,  for  as  I  slowly  approached  him  I  could  see 
that  you  had  spoiled  liis  plans  and  left  him  entirely  dis- 
heartened, so  I  sat  down  and  tried  to  cheer  him  up." 

"Yes,  I  have  no  doubt  you  helped  matters,"  replied 
Arthur,  laughing — "  very  much  after  the  pattern  of  Job^s 
comforters." 

"Well,  he  informed  me  that  he  had  told  vou  of  Mrs. 


FOILED.  285 

Graham's  full  asseut  having  been  obtained,  and  how  you 
seemed  willing  to  acquiesce  until  the  very  last  moment,  and 
then  knocked  it  all  to  pieces  by  positively  refusing  to  join 
them." 

''He  was  very  foolish  to  talk  like  that  about  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham," said  Arthur,  in  surprise  ;  "but  what  puzzles  me  is 
that  she  should  find  it  necessary  to  have  me  join  her." 

''She  begins  to  fear  you,  Arthur,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  "and 
sees  that  her  plans  must  fail  if  you  oppose  her;  and  now  if  you 
refuse  to  pay  her  what  you  collect,  she  will  weep  more  gen- 
uine tears  than  she  ever  has  over  her  husband's  death.  But 
you  must  be  constantly  on  your  guard,  for  those  you  con- 
sider your  friends  are  also  hers,  and  ready  to  carry  news  to 
her  of  all  you  say  and  do.  What  you  tell  me  concerning 
her  refusal  to  accept  of  those  repairs  does  not  surprise  me, 
for  one  day  as  I  was  riding  by  your  store  I  saw  two  gentle- 
men on  the  opposite  side  of  the  car  who  seemed  to  be  greatly 
interested  in  something  that  was  taking  place  there, 
and  presently  one  of  them  said,  'Aha !  a  new  sidewalk  in 
front  of  Arthur  Howard's  ;  I  warrant  he  expects  the  estate 
to  pay  for  it. '  And  now,  when  you  tell  me  that  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham declines  to  accept  the  bills  for  repairs,  I  feel  sure  that 
it  is  upon  the  advice  of  these  men.  This  is  only  one  instance, 
'tis  true,  but  it  should  serve  to  make  you  watchful." 

"  I  have  been  aware  of  this  for  some  time,"  replied  Arthur, 
"and  it  is  partly  for  the  purpose  of  unraveling  a  mystery 
in  regard  to  my  uncle  Ralph's  family  that  I  intend  to  go  to 
them  in  a  few  days  and  tell  them  the  true  condition  of 
affairs,  so  that  we  may  decide  what  is  best  to  do." 

"That  is  Ralph  Gerald,  is  it  not  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Blood. 

"Yes,  sir  ;  my  mother's  brother,"  replied  Arthur. 


286  FOILED. 

''You  can  accomplish  but  little  with  them/'  said  Mr. 
Blood,  "  they  are  prejudiced  against  you,  and  I  am  afraid 
your  journey  will  be  useless.  The  way  I  know  of  this  is, 
that  some  time  ago  I  received  a  letter  from  my  sister,  who 
lives  near  them,  and  in  it  slie  stated  that  your  cousin  Flor- 
ence had  told  her  that  Edith  was  trying  to  rob  them  of 
their  share,  and  if  she  succeeded  they  would  get  nothing." 

"It  is  an  outrage,"  said  Arthur,  indignantly,  "that 
Edith  should  be  not  only  subjected  to  the  annoyance  that 
Mrs.  Graham  causes  her,  but  that  these  relatives,  for  whose 
protection  we  are  doing  all  we  can,  should  thus  slander 
her ;  but  when  I  tell  them  a  few  facts  their  eyes  will  open 
to  the  truth  and  they  will  see  their  mistake." 

"Don't  be  too  sanguine,  Arthur,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  quietly, 
"for  that  courts  disappointment.  I  fear  that  they  are 
very  far  from'being  worldly  wise." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  'worldly  wise'?"  queried 
Arthur. 

"  0, 1  mean  that  they  are  country  folks  and  not  acquainted 
with  city  ways  and  the  sharp  practices  that  we  who  live  in 
the  cities  so  well  understand." 

"Then  the  cities  are  the  world  ?"  interposed  Arthur. 

"Yes,  in  that  sense  I  suppose  they  are," said  Mr.  Blood, 
with  a  smile.  "  But  it  is  not  to  their  discredit  that  they 
should  not  be  ever  on  the  alert  to  detect  fraud  and  dissim- 
ulation as  we  who  live  in  cities  must  be.  In  fact,  I  rather 
admire  the  blissful  ignorance  of  a  farmer's  life  when  I  com- 
pare it  with  the  distrust  and  suspicion  that  we  meet  with  in 
our  cities." 

"  No  one  would  find  faulfe  with  vour  taste  if  he  had  Mrs. 


FOILED.  2S? 

Graham  in  mind  as  a  fitting  representative  of  tliose  who 
are  worldly  wise,"  said  Arthur. 

"I  am  afraid  you  do  not  show  Mrs.  Graham  the  proper 
amount  of  filial  love,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  with  mock  serious- 
ness. 

"No,  I  may  not,"  said  Arthur,  carelessly.  "  But  I  want 
to  take  issue  with  you  on  a  point  that  yon  have  just  ad- 
vanced, which  is,  that  a  farmer's  life  is  one  that  makes  him 
more  blissfully  ignorant  and  susceptible  than  his  sharp  and 
all  wise  city  brother." 

"But  such  is  the  case,  Arthur.  I  do  not  wish  to  be 
understood  as  saying  that  they  are  not  naturally  as  bright 
and  intelligent  as  the  average  person  we  meet  in  our  cities, 
but  their  surroundings  are  such  that  they  quickly  drift  into 
that  condition  of  mind  where  everything  seems  true  to  them 
as  is  nature  in  all  her  dealings.  They  are  not  to  blame  for 
this,  and  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  to  their  discredit ;  in 
fact,  as  it  looks  to  me  now,  I  think  I  rather  like  it." 

"But  I  contend  that  this  is  not  the  case,"  persisted 
Arthur. 

"  It  has  been  universally  conceded — until  now,"  said  Mr. 
Blood,  with  a  quizzical  smile,  as  he  inquiringly  looked  at 
Arthur. 

"  But  that  don't  prove  it  to  be  true,"  was  the  quick 
reply. 

"'  No.  But  if  you  demand  the  proof,  I  can  cite  you  thou- 
sands of  cases  where  these  country  folks  come  to  our  cities 
and  are  duped  and  robbed  by  city  sharpers." 

"That  may  all  be,  but  that  is  only  proving  that  they  are 
not  acquainted  with  us  as  tliieves.     Come,  Mr.  Blood,  that 


288  FOILED. 

is  no  argument  in  favor  of  tlie  statement  that  those  who 
live  in  cities  are  allwise  and  proof  against  delusions,  while 
those  who  do  not  are  most  easily  deluded." 

''Well,  take  any  one  of  the  gamins  that  run  wild  in  our 
streets,  and  let  him  take  a  green  farmer's  boy  in  tow,  and 
how  long  before  he  would  have  him  believing  the  most 
absurd  things,  regardless  of  their  truth  or  sense  ?" 

''And  that  same  boy,"  said  Arthur,  quickly,  "  could  take 
this  city  gamin  to  his  home  and  make  him  believe  that  spar- 
rows are  hawks  or  that  robins  are  birds  of  paradise ;, 
but  that  would  only  prove  that  each  was  unacquainted  with 
the  surroundings  and  life  of  the  other.  Tlie  rugged 
frontiersman  could  take  the  sharjjest  financier  or  merchant 
that  we  have,  and  show  him  more  of  nature  than  he  ever 
dreamed  of  knowing,  and  yet  that  merchant  or  finan- 
cier could  tell  him  more  than  he  ever  knew  of  stocks 
and  bonds,  their  rise  and  fall,  and  it  would  prove 
no  more  than  the  cases  you  have  mentioned.  But 
let  that  merchant  or  any  other  man  say  aught  against  his 
friend,  and  he  would  not  be  believed  so  readily  as  is  Mrs. 
Graham,  when  among  these  worldly-wise  men  and  women 
of  this  great  city  she  circulates  these  false  and  cruel  state- 
ments. 0,  no,  Mr.  Blood,  the  fact  that  we  live  in  city  or 
country  does  not  make  us  proof  against  the  slanderer's 
tongue." 

"  But  my  sister  writes  me  that  your  uncle's  family  have 
such  great  faith  in  uncle  Webster  that  they  will  listen  to 
neither  reason  nor  argument." 

"  The  same  thing  is  true  of  Edith's  aunt  Hattie,"  replied 
Arthur,  bitterly,  "and  she  lives  in  the  city.  But  if  I  go  all 


FOILED.  289 

that  distance  to  see  them  they  certainly  will  not  refuse  to 
hear  what  I  have  to  say." 

"  They  may  not ;  but  don't  be  disappointed  if  they  do,'* 
was  Mr.  Blood's  warning,  as  Arthur  disappeared. 

Tired  and  travel-stained,  Arthur  at  last  reached  his  uncle 
Ealph's,  and  Mr.  Blood's  words  instantly  came  to  his  mind 
as  his  eyes  detected  the  stealthy  glances  that  passed  between 
the  members  of  the  household,  and  gave  him  warning  that 
his  tusk  would  be  neither  pleasant  nor  easy  of  accomplish- 
ment. But  Arthur  was  not  to  be  repulsed  by  any  slight 
difficulty,  and  manfully  determined  to  overcome  their 
prejudices  if  it  were  possible. 

"^We  have  been  expecting  you  for  several  days,"  began 
his  cousin  Florence,  as  she  and  his  aunt  Lucy  seated  them- 
selves on  the  opposite  side  of  the  dingy  little  parlor  whose 
inhospitable  portals  were  but  seldom  thrown  open  to  wel- 
come the  visiting  guest. 

''And  how  did  you  know  that  I  was  coming  ?"  inquired 
Arthur. 

"Mrs.  Graham  wrote  us  that — " 

Her  mother's  warning  gestiire  and  contracted  brow 
stopped  her  further  reply,  while  an  awkward  silence  settled 
slowly  down  upon  them  all. 

''Where  is  uncle  Ralph  ?"  inquired  Arthur  at  last,  in 
hopes  of  breaking  the  silence. 

"He  has  gone  to  the  village,"  replied  Mrs.  Gerald,  who 
now  assumed  charge  of  the  conversation. 

"And  cousin  Tom,  where  is  he  ?" 

"He's  outside,  somewhere,"  answered  that  lady,  curtly. 

Whether  it  was  the  damp,  cold  air  of  the  room,  or  the  icy 

19 


290  FOILED. 

coolness  of  his  reception,  Arthur  could  not  tell,  but  he 
shivered  jDerceptibly  and  felt  chilled  through  and  through. 

Mrs.  Gerald  noticed  this,  and  asked  :  "  Would  you  like 
to  have  us  build  you  a  fire,  Arthur  ?  " 

"  Suit  yourselves  in  regard  to  that,"  replied  Arthur,  un- 
certain as  to  the  kindliness  of  intention  that  prompted  the 
sug'gcstion  ;  '"I  shall  stay  but  a  short  time." 

"Florence,  you  might  build  a  fire,  it  does  seem  a  little 
cool  in  here,''  and  Mrs.  G-erald  drew  her  cnpe  more  closely 
about  her  shoulders. 

As  Florence  left  the  room,  Arthur  determined  he  would 
make  short  work  of  his  mission  and  be  gone  ;  so  turning  to 
Mrs.  Gerald,  he  said  : 

'^I  suppose  y<ni  know  my  purpose  in  coming  ?" 

*'Yes,  I  understood  you  were  to  be  out  this  way  visiting 
and  would  probably  call  on  us,"  replied  Mrs.  Gerald. 
"  How  did  you  leave  Edith  ?  " 

''I  left  her  quite  well,"  replied  Arthur,  a  little  taken 
aback  by  the  abruptness  of  her  question. 

"And  how  is  uncle  Webster  ?" 

"Ho  is  quite  well,  I  believe." 

"He  must  be  getting  quite  well  along  in  years,  and  I 
feared  he  might  not  be  quite  as  strong  as  formerly,"  said 
Mrs.  Gerald,  feeling  more  secure  now  that  the  conversation 
had  been  turned  in  this  direction. 

"  He  shows  his  age  considerably,"  replied  Arthur,  earn- 
estly, ''and  is  not  the  vigorous  man  you  remember  so 
many  years  ago.  He  has  gotten  well  into  his  second  child- 
hood and  is  easily  influenced." 

"How  is  Mrs.  Graham  ?"  hastily  inquired  Mrs.  Gerald, 
lis  Florence  returned  totlio  room. 


FOILED.  291 

''She  seems  to  be  prospering,"  replied  Arthur,  "and  if 
her  prosiDerity  continues,  uncle  Ealph's  family  can  expect 
but  very  little  from  the  estate." 

''0, 1  must  attend  to  the  dinner,"  said  Mrs.  Gerald,  hasti- 
ly rising  and  leaving  the  room. 

Florence  had  been  bending  down  trying  to  induce  the 
unruly  stove  to  do  its  duty,  and  when  her  mother  passed 
from  the  room  she  asked,  while  her  up-turned  face  showed 
her  anxiety :  ''And  do  you  understand  these  court 
matters  ?  " 

"Yes,"  rejDlied  Arthur,  "and  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it 
if  I  can  get  half  a  chance." 

"Florence!" 

And  Mrs.  Gerald's  shrill  voice  sounded  throvighout  the 
room. 

"I  want  you  in  the  kitchen,"  said  Mrs.  Gerald,  who  now 
appeared  at  the  door,  while  her  face  indicated  her  fear  that 
she  might  have  been  out-generaled. 

"  I  am  afraid  the  fire  will  not  burn,"  said  Florence,  de- 
murely, as  she  reluctantly  left  the  room. 

"Well,"  thought  Arthur,  "  this  is  the  most  uncivil  treat- 
ment I  ever  heard  of,  but  I  will  see  it  through  ;  it  is  no 
gentle  hint  to  leave,  but  I  shall  not  be  too  sensitive." 

"You  must  excuse  us,  Arthur,"  began  Mrs.  Gerald,  as 
she  returned  to  the  room,  "  we  are  doing  our  own  work  and 
cannot  spare  as  much  time  to  entertain  company  as  we  wish 
we  could." 

"I  apjDreciate  the  circumstances,"  replied  Arthur,  "but 
I  will  not  detain  you  long  if  you  will  only  listen  to  what  I 
have  to  say." 


"We  have  no  desire  to  talk  on  that  subject/^  rej)lied 
Mrs.  Gerald,  decisively. 

"But  it  is  of  interest  to  you  as  well  as  Florence,"  said 
Arthur,  looking  appealingly  at  his  cousin,  who  had  again 
returned  to  the  room  and  was  apparently  greatly  interested 
in  the  progress  of  the  fire. 

"We  have  no  interest  in  the  matter  in  any  way,"  said 
Mrs.   Gerald,  firmly. 

"  But  you  are  mentioned  in  the  will,"  persisted  Arthur. 

"That  makes  no  difference,"  replied  Mrs.  Gerald,  pro- 
voked at  Arthur's  persistence;  "we  do  not  feel  enough 
interest  in  the  matter  to  waste  our  time  in  discussing  it." 

"Will  you  decline  to  take  your  portion  ?"  inquired  Ar- 
thur, pointedly. 

"Whatever  belongs  to  us  we  will  trust  to  the  Lord  to 
bring  to  us,"  replied  Mrs,  Gerald,  resignedly,  "  but  we  will 
not  seek  for  it." 

"A  woman  eminently  suited  to  Mrs.  Graham's  purposes/' 
thought  Arthur. 

"  But  if  you  knew  that  you  would  get  nothing  unless  you 
demanded  it,  what  then  ?" 

"  I  have  told  you  that  we  do  not  care  to  discuss  it,"  re- 
plied Mrs.  Gerald,  curtly.  "  We  are  not  wholly  selfish 
and  with  no  other  thoughts  than  to  possess  that  which  does 
not  rightfully  belong  to  us.  We  have  no  desire  and  no  in- 
terest in  this  matter  in  any  way." 

"But  you  have  interest  enough  in  the  matter  to  wrongly 
accuse  my  wife  of  attempting  to  rob  you,"  said  Arthur,  in- 
dignantly, "  and  you  feel  very  bitterly  toward  her  because 
you  think  she  has  done  this  ;  and  after  Florence  has  charged 


FOILED.  293 

my  wife  with  trying  to  rob  yon,  it  is  not  right  for  you  to 
decline  to  hear  what  she  has  to  say  in  defence.  If  you 
would  only  hear  me,  I  could  tell  you  where  you  can  find 
the  proof  that  Edith  has  defended  your  interests  as  well  as 
her  own,  and  is  willing  to  continue  to  do  so.  In  fact,  she 
could  not  help  but  do  this,  even  if  she  desired.  I  can  prove 
to  you  til  at  Mrs.  Graham  not  only  intends  to  rob  you,  as 
she  has  already  done,  but  that  she  made  me  a  proposition 
to  rob  you  of  thousands  of  dollars  and  divide  with  Edith. 
Your  faith  in  uncle  Webster  is  sadly  misplaced.  He  is 
honest  in  purpose,  and  intends  to  do  right ;  but  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham has  him  completely  under  her  control,  and  he  knows 
no  will  but  hers.  If,  as  you  say,  you  have  no  interest  in 
this  matter,  will  you  not  be  just  to  Edith,  and  at  least  be- 
lieve that  she  has  done  you  no  harm,  until  you  have  some 
better  proof  than  Mrs.  Graham's  statements?" 

''We  do  not  care  to  talk  of  the  matter, ^^  replied  Mrs. 
Gerald,  doggedly  ;  "it  is  not  worth  our  while.'' 

"  Then  I  shall  leave  you,"  said  Arthur,  indignant  at 
the  treatment  he  had  received  ;  "  and  in  after  years,  if  you 
find  that  you  get  little  or  nothing  in  place  of  the 
thousands  that  are  Justly  yours,  do  not  censure  Edith,  for 
she  has  been  watchful  of  your  interests,  and  her  kindest 
endeavors  you  meet  by  sullen  silence.  Your  apparent  in- 
difference does  not  deceive  me,  for  your  anger  at  Edith  for 
what  you  believe  she  has  done  shows  only  too  plainly  that 
you  are  not  only  interested,  but  anxious  to  obtain  all  that 
is  yours.  You  are  blinded  by  prejudice  now ;  but  some 
day  your  eyes  may  be  opened,  not  only  to  the  injustice  of 
your  charges  against  my  wife,  but  to  the  terrible  mistake 
you  are  now  making." 


294  FOILED, 

Arthur  was  inclined  to  take  his  defeat  philosophically, 
though  lie  felt  his  disap]3ointment  keenly ;  and  as  he 
traveled  homeward,  his  thoughts  often  returned  to  his  queer 
experience. 

"Mr.  Blood  spoke  truly  when  he  said  that  they  were 
prejudiced  against  us  and  would  not  listen  to  reason,^' 
thought  Arthur.  ''I  know  it  now,  but  I  could  hardly 
have  believed  the  density  of  their  ignorance  without  hav- 
ing had  this  experience.  The  time  must  come  when  they 
vfill  see  that  we  desired  to  help  them,  and  save  them 
from  being  robbed  by  Mrs.  Graham,  but  they  are  far  too 
stubborn  to  ever  admit  its  truth." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"HELL   HATH    NO    FURY   LIKE    A    WOilAN    SCORNED." 

On  his  arrival  home,  Arthur  had  but  little  to  say  of  his 
visit  to  his  uncle  Ralph's  ;  and  after  recounting  the  main 
points  of  interest,  he  dropped  the  subject  and  tried  to  blot 
it  from  his  memory. 

Mrs.  Graham  had  evidently  kej^t  a  close  watch  upon  his 
movements,  for  only  a  short  time  after  his  return  he  re- 
ceived word  from  her  that  she  wished  him  to  call,  as  she 
desired  to  talk  with  him. 

"  I  may  as  well  go  at  one  time  as  another,"'  thought  Ar- 
thur ;  and  so,  soon  after  receiving  her  note,  he  was  ushered 
into  her  residence,  where,  seating  himself,  he  awaited  her 
appearance. 

"  Well,  Arthur,  I  trust  you  had  a  pleasant  and  profita- 
ble journey,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  pleasantly,  as  she  entered 
the  room  where  he  was  sitting. 

"Pleasant  and  profitable,  I  may  say,  in  all  respects  ex- 
cept where  your  handiwork  showed  itself  too  prominently," 
replied  Arthur,  looking  fixedly  at  her. 

"You  see,"  continued  Mrs.  Graham,  exultingly,  "I 
heard  something  of  your  visit  before  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  you." 

295 


296  FOILED. 

"I  am  not  at  all  surprised  at  that,"  gravely  replied 
Arthnr. 

''Then  I  judge  we  begin  to  understand  each  other,"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  carefully  watching  the  expression  of  his 
face. 

"For  myself,  yes,"  replied  Arthur,  calmly  meeting  her 
searching  eyes  ;  "  how  is  it  on  your  part  ?  " 

''At  times  I  think  I  fully  understand  you,"'  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  almost  mournfully,  "  I  know  your  every  motive 
and  desire  ;  and  then  again,  Arthur,  you  puzzle  me  ex- 
ceedingly." 

"And  in  what  way  do  I  puzzle  you  ?"  inquired  Arthur, 
a  little  surprised  at  her  concession 

"  In  not  always  following  the  line  of  action  that  pays  you 
best,  and  is  also  the  easiest,"  rej^lied  Mrs.  Graham,  slowly, 
and  with  low,  musical  intonations.  "  Tliere  was  a  time 
when  I  counted  you  as  one  of  my  most  trusted  friends ; 
when  I  would  have  risked  my  all  for  your  safety  and  pro- 
tection. Those  were  pleasant  days  to  me,  Arthur,  and  the 
memory  of  them  is  not  unpleasant  even  now ;  but  betvreen 
those  memories  and  our  feelings  now,  a  dark  chasm 
seems  to  open,  in  which  I  see  the  mangled  and  distorted 
forms  of  all  that  makes  life  enjoyable  and  friendship  last- 
ing ;  and  when  I  look  into  its  horrible  depths  my  eyes  seem 
to  deceive  me,  and  I  struggle  to  arouse  myself  as  if  from 
some  horrible  dream.  But  no  !  the  realization  that  it  is 
only  too  true  is  more  horrible  than  the  dream  itself.  I 
have  tried  to  find  the  secret  by  which  this  change  has  taken 
place,  only  to  be  more  and  more  perplexed  by  probing  for  it. 
'J'  could  easily  believe  that  it  is  I  that  have  changed,  were  it 


FOILED.  297 

not  tluit  I  find  I  cannot  willingly  lose  your  friendship 
without  an  effort  to  restore  it  and  renew  the  pleasant  times 
once  more.  And,  Arthur,  if  by  any  act  of  mine  I  have 
caused  this  change  in  your  feelings  toward  me,  you  should 
prove  your  friendshij)  by  believing  me  when  I  say  that  I 
have  always  desired  to  be  your  friend,  and  only  when  you 
have  made  me  desperate  have  I  consented  to  try  to  force 
you  to  again  be  friendly.  You  do  not  need  me  to  tell  you 
that  if  you  had  remained  so  it  would  have  been  easier  for 
you,  and  in  many  ways  you  would  have  been  better  off.  And 
it  is  with  the  certainty  in  my  mind  that  you  recognize  this, 
and  see  your  friends  and  relatives  leaving  you,  that  you 
have  even  felt  the  necessity  of  leaving  your  church  because 
it  became  unbearable  to  you,  that  you  have  had  to  bear 
the  expense  of  all  this  litigation,  that  you  even  risk  the  loss 
of  everything  worth  keeping,  when  you  might,  if  so  dis- 
i:)Osed,  exchange  all  this  for  happiness,  wealth  and  friends — 
this  is  what  surjirises  me.  It  cannot  be  explained  by 
stubbornness  ;  for  even  that  Avould  yield  to  a  pressure  so 
great  as  this.  Can  you  explain  why  you  persist  in  this 
course  ?  for  I  admit  that  I  was  never  so  mistaken  in  a  per- 
son in  all  my  life  as  I  have  been  in  you." 

'''If  you  thought,  Mrs.  Graham,  as  I  believe  you  have, 
that  I  had  implicit  confidence  in  you  and  was  ready  and 
willing  to  follow  your  commands,  I  am  not  surprised  to 
hear  you  say  that  now  you  find  yourself  mistaken.  There 
was  a  time  when  this  might  have  been — when  I  was  com- 
pletely in  your  power,  ready  to  wear  the  harness  that  sat  so 
lightly  and  pleasantly  upon  me  that  I  did  not  realize  its 
presence  ;    but  t4iat  letter   you  wrote  me   concerning  the 


298  FOILED 

trouble  between  Bertha  and  I,  tanglit  me  a  lesson,  and 
I  have  learned  much — aye,  too  much,  since  then." 

"  Did  Mr.  Graham  know  of  that  letter  ?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Graham,  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  he  knew  its  full  contents,"  replied  Arthur,  quietly. 
"  I  handed  it  to  him  to  read,  and  never  more  regretted  an 
act  than  I  did  that;  for  when  I  saw  what  the  tiue  condi- 
tion was,  I  wished  that  my  eyes  could  have  been  opened  to 
your  true  character  in  some  other  way." 

"  It  was  a  very  foolish  proceeding,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
flushing  slightly;  'Mjut,  Arthur,  that  is  past  and  gone. 
My  question,  why  you  still  persist  in  disregarding  your 
own  interests,  remains  unanswered." 

"It  is  very  easily  explained,"  replied  Arthur.  "I  be- 
lieve that  I  am  in  the  right." 

''Eight  or  wrong  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,  Arthur," 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  hastily.  ''You  are  losing  everything 
you  have  and  everything  you  can  hope  for,  and  right  or 
wrong  make  but  ajDoor  showing  against  such  a  loss." 

"You  will  please  allow  me  the  right  to  choose,"  said 
Arthur,  quietly. 

"Certainly,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  graciously.  "But  I 
desired  to  be  sure  that  you  fully  understood  the  situation, 
and  if  possible  that  we  might  agree  and  both  be  benefited 
thereby." 

"  On  that  subject  I  supposed  I  had  given  your  lawyer  a 
sufficiently  positive  answer,"  rejDlied  Arthur,  curtly,  aggra- 
vated that  this  subject  should  again  be  brought  to  his 
attention. 

"  Yes,    but  that  was  before  these  relatives  had  treated 


FOILED,  399 

yon  so  cavalierly/'  persisted  Mrs.  Graham.  "You  then 
believed  them  to  be  your  friends  ;  now  you  know  where 
they  stand.  They  have  insulted  you  and  S2)urned  your 
kindest  offers.  You  have  done  your  duty,  and  if  they 
choose  to  act  in  this  way  you  certainly  have  no  reason  to 
feel  that  you  should  further  protect  them." 

''When  I  denounced  this  scheme  as  one  of  robbery," 
said  Arthur,  with  flashing  eyes,  ''I  did  so  because  it  was 
nothing  else  ;  and  though  these  relatives  whom  I  sought  to 
protect,  insulted  me  and  spurned  my  offers,  that  does  not 
change  the  fact.  I  believed  it  then,  and  I  believe  it  now. 
I  trust,  Mrs.  Graham,  that  I  have  made  myself  so  thoroughly 
understood  that  you  will  never  dare  to  mention  this  subject 
to  me  again ;  if  so,  let  us  change  the  subject.  Why  did 
yon  send  for  me  ?" 

''I  confess  I  cannot  understand  you,"  said  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham, resignedly,  as  she  realized  that  she  had  made  no  im- 
pression upon  Arthur. 

"Is  that  all  you  desired  to  say  to  me  ?"  inquired  Arthur, 
provoked  at  her  persistence. 

"No,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  slowly,  as  if  she  found  it  hard 
to  take  her  mind  from  off  the  more  important  subject. 
"No,  I  sent  for  you  to  tell  you  that  after  consulting  with 
Mr.  Skinner,  we  have  decided  that  for  this  time  we  will 
accept  the  bills  for  repairs  instead  of  the  money,  but  in  fu- 
ture we  shall  decline  to  do  so." 

"As  I  understand  you,  then,"  said  Arthur,  slowly,  "you 
have  decided  to  recede  from  your  former  position,  and  will 
now  accept  the  bills  for  repairs." 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  decision,"  replied  Mrs,  Graham,  a  little 


300  FOILED. 

nettled  at  Arthur's  way  of  putting  it,  ''  but  for  this  time 
only. " 

"Well,"  said  Arthur, with  evident  satisfaction,  ^'^upon 
a  consultation  with  my  attorney,  we  have  decided  to  pay 
you  neither  bills  nor  money  from  this  time  forth." 

''Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  decline  to  pay  me  the 
money  you  have  collected  ?  "  demanded  Mrs.  Graham,  her 
face  flushed  with  passion. 

"  Well,  you  see,"  rej^lied  Arthur,  apparently  unconcerned, 
'*  when  you  go  fishing  for  legal  opinions  you  can  never  tell 
just  what  you  will  catch.  I  asked  my  attorney  how  I  could 
force  you  to  take  the  bills  as  well  as  the  money,  and  his  re- 
ply was  that  I  had  no  business  to  give  you  either,  and  that 
I  must  do  so  no  longer.  And  the  queerest  part  of  it  is, 
that  I  would  never  have  known  the  law  was  so  strange  were 
it  not  for  your  bringing  up  the  question  ;  but  now  that  I  have 
found  it  to  be  so,  it  suits  me  exactly,  and  I  trust  that  it  suits 
you."  And  as  he  waited  for  her  reply,  a  smile  played  about 
his  countenance  that  showed  that  he  felt  that  for  once,  at 
least,  he  was  the  victor. 

"I  am  sorry  that  you  have  arrived  at  this  decision,  Ar- 
thur, "  said  Mrs.  Graham,  as  she  leaned  back  in  her  chair 
and  nnri'owly  surveyed  him.  ''It  is  certain  to  cause  you 
trouble',  though  of  the  outcome  I  have  no  doubt." 

"And  do  you  intend  to  oppose  the  law  ?"  inquired  Ar- 
thur, in  mock  alarm.  *'It  is  not  I  that  you  would  be 
figliting,  but  the  law." 

"I  cannot  say,  now,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  cautiously; 
"I  must  see  Mr.  Skinner  before  I  decide." 

"I  suppose  that  I  will  hear  what  your  decision  is?" 
said  Arthur,  inquiringly,  as  he  arose  to  take  his  leave. 


FOILED.  301 

"  Yes/^  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  decisively,  "you  will  hear 
from  me  in  due  time." 

Mrs.  Graham's  face  plainly  showed  her  perplexity  as  she 
hastily  entered  Mr.  Skinner's  office  and  inquired  : 

"What  course  should  I  pursue,  Mr.  Skinner,  if  Arthur 
should  fail  to  pay  this  money  he  has  collected  ?" 

"■  0, 1  think  a  pretty  sharp  demand  from  me  would  bring 
him  to  time,"  replied  Mr,  Skinner,  carelessly. 

"  "Well,  then,  I  want  you  to  demand  it  from  him  at  once, 
and  in  terms  that  he  cannot  misunderstand,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham. 

"  Is  he  behind  in  his  payments  ?" 

"  Yes,  not  only  that,  but  he  refuses  to  pay  at  all." 

"What  is  that?"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  turning  quickly 
toward  her. 

"  I  say  that  he  has  not  paid  me  a  dollar  of  all  the  money 
lie  has  collected  since  he  received  this  power  of  attorney,  as 
you  call  it,  and  now  repudiates  my  claim  to  it,"  replied 
Mrs.  Graham,  excitedly. 

"  That  is  a  different  matter  entirely,"  said  Mr.  Skin- 
ner, thoughtfully.  "If  he  knows  his  rights  we  must  deal 
differently  with  him.  Let  me  see.  You  say  he  said  you 
had  no  right  to  receive  these  rents,  what  else  did  he  say  ?" 

"  He  said  he  asked  Mr.  Blood  how  he  could  force  me  to 
take  the  bills  as  well  as  the  money,  who  replied  that  he 
should  never  have  paid  me  either  one,  and  to  do  so  no 
longer. " 

"This  is  bad  business,"  said  Mr.  Skinner  thoughtfully, 
"very  bad." 

"  I  regret  that  we  gave  him  the  power  of  attorney,"  said 


303  FOILED. 

Mrs.  Graliam,  sadly;  "it  has  been  the  cause  of  all  this 
trouble." 

''  Not  entirely,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  thoughtfully,  ''for 
if  you  had  not  been  so  anxious  to  have  Arthur  bow  down 
and  acknowledge  your  power,  he  would  not  have  found  it 
necessary  to  seek  advice  from  Mr.  Blood.  That  was  the 
main  cause  of  the  trouble ;  and  it  is  not ,  good  policy  to 
place  the  error  where  it  does  not  rightfully  belong ;  it  is 
apt  to  lead  to  a  wrong  decision  in  trying  to  overcome  the 
difficulty." 

"  But  if  I  had  collected  these  rents  myself,  and  not  given 
him  this  power  of  attorney,  this  question  could  never  have 
arisen,"  persisted  Mrs.  Graham. 

"Yes,  but  that  is  no  more  an  explanation  of  its  cause 
than  to  say  that  if  the  child  had  never  been  born  the  man 
could  never  have  committed  murder  ;  and  though  it  is  nec- 
essary that  the  murderer  should  be  born  before  he  can 
commit  murder,  it  does  not  follow  that  this  was  the  cause 
why  the  murder  was  committed,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  with 
a  malicious  smile. 

"  I  am  not  in  the  mood  to  discuss  fine  points  of  law, 
or  listen  to  plausible  theories  on  abstract  conditions  of  mat- 
ter, "  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  angrily.  ' '  What  I  want  is  that 
you  shall  force  Arthur  to  pay  this  money,  and  that,  too, 
at  once." 

"  I  was  only  getting  even  with  you  for  the  remark  you 
made  recently  that  there  were  some  women  who  would  put 
us  lawyers  to  the  blush,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner  with  evident 
satisfaction.  "  But  now,  in  regard  to  forcing  Arthur  to  pay 
you  this  money,  I  have  my  doubts  if  we  can  do  it." 


FOILED.  303 

"  But  you  said  a  moment  ago  tliat  all  3'ou  had  to  do  was 
to  demand  it  and  he  would  pay  it  at  once,"  said  Mrs. 
Graham,  with  a  sneer. 

''Yes,  Mrs.  Graham,  but  I  did  not  know  then  that  he 
knew  his  rights." 

"What  rights  ?"  demanded  Mrs.  Graham.  "You  seem 
to  forget  that  I  am  the  executrix  of  this  estate  and  lie  is 
not." 

"  Yes,'"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  "  tliat  is  all  very  true;  but 
the  daughter  has  a  right  to  her  share  of  the  rents  and  you 
cannot  deprive  her  of  it.  I  was  afraid  this  might  be  the 
result  when  you  told  mo  of  your  refusal  to  accept  the  bills 
for  repairs,  and  it  has  lost  us  more  than  you  can  easily  re- 
alize, and  all  because  of  your  insane  desire  to  have  Arthur 
acknowledge  your  power.  He  has  defeated  you  at  your 
own  game,  and  that,  too,  on  the  ground  of  your  own  choos- 
ing. Do  you  realize  the  extent  of  your  loss  ;  do  you  see 
that  he  no  longer  need  fear  your  demands  for  rent ;  that  he 
has  now  the  very  sinews  of  war  that  we  desired  to  keep 
from  him  ?" 

Mrs.  Graham's  first  imimlse  was  to  resent  this  severe  cas- 
tigation  that  Mr.  Skinner  gave  her  with  so  prodigal  a  hand, 
but  a  sense  of  her  dependence  upon  him  made  her  cautious 
in  her  reply.  She  could  not  afford  to  quarrel  with  him, 
and  yet  the  humiliating  position  in  which  she  was  placed 
was  keenly  felt  by  her,  as  she  replied  : 

"  But  he  will  have  to  account  for  all  he  has  collected  in 
the  final  settlement,  will  he  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr,  Skinner,  with  a  sneer,  "  but  that  is 
poor  consolation  now  ;  you  will  have  to  do  the  same  ;  but 


304  FOILED. 

if  he  could  get  no  part  of  it  until  that  time,  it  would  be  a 
very  different  matter." 

'^  This  is  only  idle  talk,"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  petulantly. 
"  I  came  for  advice  as  to  what  to  do,  and  not  to  have  you 
read  me  a  homily  upon  my  indiscretions." 

"We  have  only  one  hope,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  "and 
that  one  gives  but  little  promise  of  success." 

"  And  what  is  that  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  eagerly. 

"That  is  to  have  Webster  Graham  send  Arthur  a  very 
carefully  written  letter,  and  request  him  to  pay  this  money. 
By  so  doing  we  may  induce  him  to  pay  it  rather  than  have 
trouble.  It  will  not  do  to  threaten  him  outright  ;  but  a 
little  care  in  writing  the  letter  will  convey  the  intelligence, 
and  if  he  is  not  fully  informed  of  the  strength  of  his  posi- 
tion, he  may  give  in.  You  had  better  write  the  letter 
yourself,  and  send  it  to  Mr.  Graham,  so  that  he  can  copy 
it  and  send  it  to  Arthur.  This  is  the  only  chance  we  have, 
and  it  must  be  handled  delicately  ;  but  you  understand 
that  as  well  as  I.  And  if  it  is  handled  properly,  we  may 
regain  the  advantage  that  your  foolish  actions  have  lost 
us." 

"  I  shall  write  to  Webster  at  once,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham, 
rising  to  leave. 

"  Have  you  spoken  to  Arthur  of  that  other  matter  ?" 
inquired  Mr.  Skinner. 

"Yes,  but  he  has  not  decided  to  accept  it  yet,"  replied 
Mrs.  Graham,  edging  her  way  uncomfortably  toward  the 
door. 

"  He  has  not  declined,  has  he  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Skinner, 
determined  to  know  the  truth. 


FOILED.  305 

"  Why  do  you  ask  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  curtly. 

"  Because  you  promised  to  tell  me  how  you  succeeded." 

"  But  I  did  not  promise  to  toll  you  beforehand,  did  I  ?" 
inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  quizzical  look  at  her  ques- 
tioner. 

"'No,  that  is  true." 

"  Well,  I  shall  let  you  know  the  very  moment  he  accepts," 
said  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  slight  tinge  of  sarcasm  in  her 
voice,  "  so  that  your  suspense  may  be  ended." 

"  If  he  thinks  I  am  going  to  give  him  another  opportu- 
nity to  scourge  me,  he  is  mistaken,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
half  aloud,  as  she  made  her  way  home.  '^I  have  to  sink 
all  sense  of  self-respect  as  it  is,  and  yet  I  cannot  do  without 
him.  The  idea  of  Stewart  Graham's  widow  being  brow- 
beaten and  insulted  in  this  manner  by  her  own  attorney  !" 
and  Mrs.  Graham's  cup  seemed  filled  with  wormwood  and 
gall,  as  she  ground  her  teeth  with  impotent  rage.  ^'And 
Arthur,  he  for  whom  I  have  done  so  much,  and  to  whom  I 
have  been  so  kind,  is  now,  no  doubt,  exulting  over  his  vic- 
tory. If  I  had  him  liere  I  could  strangle  him  !"  And  her 
clenched  hands  and  rigid  muscles  gave  but  a  slight  indica- 
tion of  her  horrible  thoughts.  Could  one  have  removed 
the  heavy  veil  that  covered  her  face  from  the  world,  they 
would,  no  doubt,  have  been  horrified  by  the  picture  of  in- 
human fiendishness  there  portrayed.  But  Arthur  wl3 
beyond  her  grasp,  and  her  dependence  upon  Mr.  Skinner 
made  it  impossible  for  her  to  wreak  her  vengence  upnn  him; 
and  so,  like  a  human  tigress,  she  mechanically  moved  along 
the  streets  of  that  great  city,  unconsciously  following  the 
path  to  her  home.     Tears  would  have  been  a  relief,  but 

20 


306  FOILED. 

they  refused  their  consolation.  Her  feelings  were  too  in- 
tense, her  hatred  too  all  absorbing,  to  give  place  to  tears. 
Could  she  but  vent  her  feelings  upon  some  object  of  her 
hatred,  she  would  more  easily  have  controlled  them.  But 
no,  there  was  no  one  near.  And  without  seeming  to  feel 
the  exertion,  she  at  last  accomplished  the  task  of  walking 
to  her  home.  As  she  entered,  Bertha  noticed  her  fearful 
paleness,  which,  with  the  intense  fire  that  gleamed  in  her 
«yes,  made  her  fearful  that  Mrs.  Graham  was  seriously  ill. 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Graham,  what  is  the  matter  T'  anxiously 
inquired  Bertha,  as  she  caught  a  sight  of  her  face.  "  Are 
you  ill  ?" 

''Stop  your  idiotic  chattering!"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  as 
her  features  moved  mechanically. 

"^  Can^t  I  help  you  in  some  way?"  inquired  Bertha, 
alarmed  at  her  condition. 

*'Xo,  get  out  of  the  room — leave  me — your  presence  is 
hateful  to  my  sight  !" 

Bertha  stood  irresolute  a  moment,  but  the  sight  of  her 
old  friend's  condition  fixed  her  resolve,  and  she  step})ed  for- 
ward, saying,  "  Let  me  help  you  remove  your  wrappings, 
Mrs.  Graham." 

Bertha's  touch-  upon  her  arm  was  the  spark  that  was 
needed  to  rouse  her  to  action,  and  violently  flinging  her  off, 
Mrs.  Graham  sprang  at  one  bound  into  the  center  of  the 
room,  her  flushed  face  ■  and  flashing  eyes  unmistakal)ly 
showing  her  fury. 

"  Keep  your  hands  off  of  me  !"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
fiercely — "  don't  you  dare  to  touch  me  again  !  I  will  be 
minded  in  my  own  house,  even  though  I  am  scorned  and 


FOILED.  307 

insulted  by  the  world  !  I  am  mistress  here,  and  you  shall 
obey  me  !" 

"  But,  Mrs.  Graham,  I  am  your  friend,"  replied  Bertha, 
appalled  at  the  sight.  "  I  only  desire  to  aid  you.  I  am 
afraid  to  leave  you,  for  I  fear  that  you  will  lose  your 
mind." 

"  Friend  ! — yes,  a  most  valuable  friend  !"  sneered  Mrs. 
Graham,  with  bitter  emphasis.  "  You  come  here  and  live 
on  my  charity  for  years — a  most  valuable  friend  indeed  \" 
and  she  laughed  a  low,  unearthly  laugh,  that  made  Bertha 
tremble.  "  Begone,  you  beggar  !  I  am  done  with  you.  I 
have  no  farther  use  for  you  or  your  simpering  ways.  The 
very  sight  of  you  is  loathsome  to  me.  Do  you  hear  me  ? — 
Begone !" 

'•But,  Mrs.  Graham,  where  can  I  go  ?"  said  Bertha,  in 
despair. 

"  I  do  not  know  or  care !"  said  Mrs.  Graham,  fiercely. 
"  Get  out  of  my  house,  and  never  enter  it  again  !'' 


CHAPTEK  XXL 

WHAT   IS   THE    LAW    GOOD    FOR  ? 

When  Arthur  left  Mrs.  Graham  he  was  impressed  with  the 
certainty  that  she  would  not  long  remain  inactive;  and  to 
him,  as  the  days  passed,  her  long  silence  seemed  portentious 
of  evil.  But  while  he  was  yet  in  doubt  as  to  what  her  next 
move  would  be,  he  was  favored  with  a  very  long  letter  from 
Webster,  in  which  he  was  politely  requested  to  see  Mrs. 
Graham  and  pay  her  the  money  he  had  collected. 

"  Aha  !"  thought  Arthur,  ''  I  guess  they  see  the  point, 
and  begin  to  realize  that  the  law  protects  Edith,  to  a  slight 
extent,  at  least.  I  will  answer  the  letter,  however,  and 
give  the  old  gentleman  an  intimation  of  how  I  regard  his 
actions  in  this  matter."  And  sitting  down,  Arthur  wrote ; 
"Dear  Uncle  Webster: 

''  I  have  just  received  your  letter  requesting  me  to  pay 
Mrs.  Graham  the  money  I  have  collected,  and  in  reply  I 
must  say  that  for  several  reasons  I  cannot  comjily  with 
your  request.  My  wife,  though  seemmgly  ignored  in  all 
your  calculations,  is  entitled  to  a  portion  of  her  father's 
estate.  Her  lawyer  says  she  is  entitled  to  a  proportionate 
part  of  all  the  rents  from  the  property,  and  advises  her  to 
demand  her  share.  Acting  upon  this  advice,  I  have  turned 
over  to  her  all  that  I  have  collected,  and  therefore  I  have 
no  money  for  which  I  should  account  to  Mrs.  Graham  ; 

308 


FOILED.  309 

and  even  if  I  had,  I  seriously  doubt  the  propriety  of  Mrs. 
Graham  receiving  all  of  this  money,  for  I  have  twice  been 
solicited  to  join  with  her  in  a  scheme  by  which  not  only 
yourself  but  all  the  other  relatives  were  to  be  robbed  of  by 
far  the  largest  part  of  their  share  in  the  estate.  This  would 
of  itself  make  me  certain  of  her  dishonesty,  even  though 
she  had  not  already  taken  the  amount  of  the  widow's  award 
in  excess  of  what  rightfully  belongs  to  her. 

"  Now,  I  write  this  with  a  full  understanding  that  this  at- 
tempted robbery  is  too  vile  in  its  character  for  you  to  be- 
lieve her  capable  of  considering,  much  less  urging  upon 
me  ;  and  yet,  if  you  will  give  me  the  opportunity,  I  will 
prove  its  truth  beyond  a  question  by  Mr.  Blood,  to  whom 
Mr.  Skinner  uufolded  the  scheme,  never  doubting  for  a 
moment  that  I  would  not  accept.  Now,  I  ask  you,  in  all 
earnestness,  if  it  is  not  your  duty  to  investigate  this  matter, 
in  order  that  you  may  the  more  thoroughly  guard  the  in- 
terests of  yourself,  as  well  as  those  whom  you  were  expected 
to  protect. 

'•'In  making  this  charge,  I  fully  realize  the  feeling  of 
disgust  that  takes  hold  upon  a  man  when  a  woman  is  thus 
spoken  of.  I  take  this  responsibility  and  risk  of  being 
misunderstood,  and  hurl  these  charges  at  you  in  the  hope 
that  their  very  hideousness  may  so  far  awaken  you  to  a 
proper  sense  of  your  duty  as  to  make  you  investigate  them; 
and  if  I  fail  to  prove  their  truth,  then  give  this  letter  to 
the  world  as  my  just  punishment.  Can  I  say  more  ?  Can 
I  do  more  to  awaken  you  from  this  deathlike  stupor  into 
which  your  perfect  confidence  in  Mrs.  Graham's  integrity 
has  placed  you  ?  Will  you  not  hold  out  a  helping  hand  to 
those  to  whom  your  brother  left  you  as  guardian  and  jiro- 
tector,  or  will  you  still  maintain  this  stolid  indifference  to 
your  duty  and  continue  to  support  and  aid  this  woman  ? 
Your  answer  will  be  awaited  with  much  anxiety  by, 
"  Yours  sincerely, 

"Arthur  Howard." 


310  FOILED. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  Arthur,  a  few  days  after- 
ward, received  this  characteristic  letter,  addressed  to — 
*•'  My  Dear  Nephew  : 

"  I  have  only  to  say  that  you  have  been  unfortunate  in 
seeing  things  in  a  wrong  light,  and  as  far  as  personalities 
relating  to  others  are  concerned,  I  have  nothing  to  say. 
Some  of  your  charges  are  so  glaringly  inconsistent  as  to  be 
unworthy  of  the  attention  of  any  sane  man,  and  if  your 
aim  was  to  prejudice  me  against  the  person  you  so  greatly 
malign,  I  can  only  say  that  you  have  most  signally  failed. 
When  a  man  lets  his  temper  get  the  upper  hand  of  him,  I 
always  pity  him.  I  am  not  disposed  to  enter  into  any  angry 
discussion  of  points  which  we  do  not  see  alike.  Your  sus- 
picions are  of  too  low  a  character  for  me  to  indulge  in,  and 
asking  that  you  will  please  excuse  the  plainness  of  this  let- 
ter, I  remain, 

"  Your  very  bad 

"  Uncle  Webster." 

*'  Well,  that  settles  one  more  hope,"  thought  Arthur,  as 
he  finished  reading  the  letter.  "  I  wonder  what  this  lump 
of  goodly  imbecility  would  call  the  thing  itself,  if  the  sus- 
picions are  of  too  low  a  character.  He  sits  in  his  farmhouse, 
the  wickedest  thing  around  him  being  the  robin  who  steals 
his  cherries,  and  descants  upon  the  high  and  low  character 
of  suspicions,  while,  in  fact,  he  has  as  little  knowledge  of 
the  material  of  which  the  successful  imitation  of  a  society 
lady  is  made,  as  old  dog  Tray  had  of  city  politics.  I  can 
plainly  see  that  there  is  no  hope  for  help  from  him,  for 
Mrs.  Graham  holds  undisputed  possession." 

'^I  should  like  to  know  what  the  law  is  good  for,  Mr. 
Blood,  if  it  allows  Mrs.  Graham  to  steal  from  the  estate 
with  perfect  impunity,  and  then  charge  Edith  with  doing 
it  all  ?" 


FOILED.  311 

Arthur  had  entered  Mr.  Blood's  office,  and  with  a  thought- 
ful and  worried  expression  on  his  face  taken  a  seat  close 
by  the  attorney,  who  always  seemed  ready  to  lay  aside  liis 
work  that  he  might  be  entertained  by  Arthur's  ardent  words 
and  vehement  denunciation  of  Mrs.  Graham's  course.  To 
him  it  was  rest  and  recreation  ;  and  though  he  often  laughed 
at  the  crudity  and  unshapeliness  of  his  ideas,  he  enjoyed 
the  moments  spent  in  conversation  with  him ;  and  as 
Arthur  continued,  he  sat  watching  him  with  a  -quizzical, 
good-natured  smile,  that  plainly  showed  his  enjoyment  of 
the  scene. 

"The  law  is  wrong  somewhere,  Mr.  Blood,"  said  Arthur, 
earnestly  ;  for  you  know  as  well  as  I  that  she  is  not  entitled 
to  this  award,  and  yet  you  tell  me,  and  every  one  else  that 
I  have  talked  to  says,  that  we  cannot  prevent  this  robbery. 
Why  is  it  ?" 

"You  are  an  impulsive  fellow  and  no  mistake,"  said 
Mr.  Blood,  admiringly;  "but  with  all  your  energy  and 
pluck  you  have  no  hope  of  defeating  Mrs.  G-raham  in 
her  attempt  to  take  her  award.  The  law  gives  it  to  her, 
and  you  cannot  help  yourself.  It  would  please  me  to  be 
able  to  tell  you  differently,  but  as  this  is  the  case,  I  cannot.-" 

"Bat  father  Graham's  will  says  she  must  take  what  he 
gives  her  in  place  of  all  these  claims  ;  how,  then,  can  she 
take  what  he  expressly  says  she  shall  not  ?"  inquired  Arthur, 
bitterly, 

"  If  she  respected  his  wishes,  Arthur,  she  would  not  desire 
to  take  this  award  ;  but  you  are  not  dealing  with  that  kind 
of  a  woman.     0,  no,  she  loves  money  far  too  well  for  that." 

"  But  does  the  law  have  no  power  where  she  decides  tD 


313  FOILED. 

take  more  than  is  hers  ?"  inquired  Arthur,  in  amazement. 

''None  whatever/'  replied  Mr.  Blood,  positively.  "  The 
plain  words  of  the  statute  are,  that  whether  a  man  dies  with 
or  without  a  will,  his  widow  shall  have  her  award.  This 
is  one  of  the  oldest  of  our  statutes,  and  comes  down  unal- 
tered from  the  old  English  laws,  which  are  really  the  foun- 
dation of  our  own;  and  this  word  '  shall '  admits  of  no 
misunderstanding,  and  is  mandatory — there  is  no  getting 
around  it.  Now,  I  tell  you  this  with  the  hope  that  you 
will  fully  realize  the  uselessness  of  spending  more  time  and 
thought  upon  this  matter;  and  while  no  one  feels  more 
keenly  than  1  the  injustice  that  it  has  wrought,  I  must 
advise  you  to  give  up  all  hope  of  changing  it,  or  preventing 
Mrs.  Graham  from  taking  this  award." 

"But  what  is  the  use  of  making  a  will  ?"  persisted  Arthur. 

"  Well,  this  is  one  of  the  i^eculiarities  of  the  law/'  replied 
Mr.  Blood,  smiling  at  Arthur's  perplexity.  "But  come, 
now,  Arthur,  it  is  of  no  use  to  worry  over  it ;  you  may  as 
well  give  it  up  now  as  later;  for  you  can  do  nothing  to 
prevent  this  robbery. 

"It  seems  strange,"  said  Arthur,  musingly,  "very 
strange ;  for  here  is  a  clear  case  of  theft,  and  yet  there 
is  no  law  to  prevent  it,  while  you  tell  me  that  the 
law  sanctions  it.  Mr.  Blood,  I  have  always  been 
taught  to  respect  the  law  ;  I  have  been  taught  that  tlie  law 
l^rotected  the  honest  citizen  and  punished  injustice  and 
crime ;  that  while  in  some  cases  the  jjenalty  seemed  too 
severe,  it  was  for  the  common  good,  so  that  all  might  be 
forced  to  obey  its  commands.  Now  this  beautiful  theory 
comes  tumbling  about  my  head  like  a  house  of  cards,  when 


FOILED.  313 

you  tell  me  that  it  not  only  allows  this  woman  to  commit 
this  robbery  but  aids  and  supports  her  in  so  doing,  while 
the  woman  or  child  who  steals  to  keei^  from  starving  is 
crushed  under  the  weight  of  its  condemnation.  I  demand 
of  you  why  this  is.  We  both  know  that  the  charge  has 
often  been  made  that  lawyers  connive  at  wrongs  in  order 
that  they  may  the  more  readily  fill  their  pockets  with  ill- 
gotten  gold,  and  I  ask  you  if  here  is  not  a  case  that  gives 
the  people  good  reason  for  believing  such  statements  to 
be  true  ?" 

"I  can  only  say,''  replied  Mr.  Blood,  'niiat  I  am  not 
responsible  for  the  laws." 

"If  you  are  not,  your  brother  lawyers  are,"  replied 
Arthur,  quickly;  "for  no  calling  has  a  greater  number 
represented  in  our  legislatures,  and  to  their  opinions  of 
new  laws  and  to  their  decisions  all  others  give  a  ready 
assent. " 

"  But  I  was  only  sj)eakingof  myself,"  replied  Mr.  Blood, 
with  an  amused  smile  ;  "and  so  far  as  I  know,  it  has  been 
the  custom  for  years,  and  is  the  regular  order  of  the  court, 
to  set  aside  an  award  for  the  widow  whenever  she  asks  for 
it,  and  this,  too,  regardless  of  the  will." 

"And  does  the  court  then  jDroceed  to  carry  out  the  other 
provisions  of  the  will  ?"  inquired  Arthur. 

"  0,  certainly  ;  just  the  same  as  if  the  widow  had  made 
no  claims  for  her  award." 

"  But  if  the  court  goes  this  far,"  said  Arthur,  bitterly, 
"why  should  it  hesitate  about  giving  the  widow  dower 
and  liomestead,  and  then,  if  there  is  anything  left,  give 
her  what  the  will  provides  for  her?  " 


314  FOILED. 

"  0,  that  is  only  done  when  the  widow  decides  that  she 
will  not  abide  by  the  will,"  quickly  replied  Mr.  Blood. 

"And  how  do  you  know  but  what  Mrs.  Graham  has  de- 
cided that  she  will  not  abide  by  the  other  provisions  of  the 
will  ?"  inquired  Arthur,  earnestly.  "  Suppose  she  decides 
she  will  take  her  dower,  what  then  ?" 

''0,  she  cannot  do  that  now,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  "for 
more  than  a  year  has  passed  since  the  will  was  probated, 
and  she  must  renounce  the  will  within  a  year  or  else  abide 
by  its  provisions." 

"Well,  I  should  say  she  had  renounced  the  will  ;  what 
more  could  she  do  ?"  persisted  Arthur. 

"  You  would  not  make  a  bad  lawyer  yourself,  Arthur," 
said  Mr.  Blood,  laughing.  "  You  would  be  strong  on 
the  cross-questioning,  though  I  fear  your  arguments  would 
not  stand.  ^' 

"  But  that  does  not  answer  my  question,"  replied  Arthur, 
determined  to  fully  understand  the  matter.  "  What  I 
want  to  know  is,  if  Mrs.  Graham  has  not  renounced  the 
will  by  taking  this  award  ?" 

"  0,  no,  my  dear  fellow,  not  at  all,"  quickly  rej)lied  Mr. 
Blood.  "The  law  requires  that  her  renunciation  shall  be 
in  writing,  and  filed  within  one  year,  or  not  at  all." 

"  And  what  would  have  happened  if  she  had  made  a 
written  renunciation  of  the  will  ?"  inquired  Arthur. 

"  In  that  case  the  court  would  give  her  an  award,  and, 
during  her  life,  give  her  a  dower  right  to  one-third  of  the 
property,  after  which  it  would  revert  to  Edith;  or,  in  jDlace 
of  this  life  interest  in  one-third  of  the  property,  wc  could 
have  its  value  appraised  and  ]iaid  to  her  in  money." 


FOILED.  315 

''  And  what  would  be  the  amount  she  would  receive  un- 
der these  circumstances  ?"  inquired  Arthur. 

''  I  cannot  say,  exactly,"' replied  Mr.  Blood,  thoughtfully, 
"but  I  think  it  would  be  only  about  a  fourth  of  what  the 
will  gives  her." 

"If  that  is  so,  you  do  not  believe  she  ever  intended  to 
renounce  the  will,  do  you  ?" 

"  Not  if  she  is  well  informed  in  regard  to  her  position, 
and  I  judge  she  is,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  confidently. 

"  But  do  you  not  think  that  she  intended  to  take  all  the 
law  gives  her,"  inquired  Arthur,  "and  then  take  all  that 
the  will  gives  her  besides  ?" 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it." 

"  And  you  think  that  the  law  is  with  her  in  doing  so  ?" 
questioned  Arthur. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  "to the  extend  of  her  award, 
I  do." 

"  "Well,  I  don't,"  said  Arthur,  positively.  "  A  moment 
ago  you  said  that  my  arguments  were  not  good  ;  now  I  am 
going  to  give  you  the  law  as  it  appears  to  me,  and  it  may 
help  you  to  see  things  as  I  do." 

"  Well,  take  the  floor  and  make  your  speech,"  said  Mr. 
Blood,  as  with  a  laugh,  he  threw  his  feet  upon  his  desk  and 
leaned  back  in  his  chair.     "  I  am  resigned  to  my  fate." 

"This  positive  giving  of  this  award  to  the  widow,"  be- 
gan Arthur,  his  thoughts  all  concentrated  on  the  one  theme, 
"is,  to  my  mind,  applicable  only  to  those  cases  where  the 
will  does  not  provide  for  or  give  an  equivalent." 

"  0,  but  that  is  not  law,"  interrupted  Mr.  Blood. 

"  I  am  not  talking  law,"  retorted  Arthur,  "  I  am  talk- 
ing common  sense." 


31G  FOILED. 

"  Well,  that's  foreign  to  the  subject/'  smilingly  replied 
Mr.  Blood  ;  "  but  go  ahead." 

^' Where  there  is  no  will/"  continued  Arthur,  "  we  both 
agree  that  the  widow  should  have  her  award.  In  cases 
where  there  is  a  will,  she  is  still  entitled  to  her  award  if  she 
desires  it,  but  when  she  takes  her  award  she  must  give  up 
the  will  ;  for  I  will  not  believe  that  the  law  intends  or 
countenances  such  an  outrage  as  allowing  a  widow  to  choose 
all  that  is  good  under  the  law  and  then  allow  her  to  take  all 
that  is  good  under  the  will.  The  law  protects  her  against 
an  unjust  will,  but  she  must  decide  between  the  two;  and, 
having  decided,  she  can  take  only  what  the  law  gives  her, 
and  nothing  by  the  will,  or  what  the  will  gives  her^,  and 
nothing  by  the  law  ;  but  she  cannot  take  both  ways." 

Mr.  Blood's  feet  had  dropped  from  his  desk,  and  he 
had  stealthily  crept  forward,  as  if  fearful  that  he  might  not 
hear  every  word,  until  his  face  was  directly  under  Arthur's, 
as  he  stood  calmly  but  earnestly  expressing  the  conclusions 
of  months  of  hard  and  aggravating  thought  upon  this  all- 
absorbing  subject. 

'^Say  that  again,  Arthur,"  said  Mr.  Blood,  quickly — 
''  say  it  again  ;  you  may  be  right. " 

"  She  must  decide  between  the  two,"  replied  Arthur,  al- 
most fiercely  ;  "  and  having  decided  which  one  she  will 
accept,  she  can  take  only  what  it  gives." 

When  Arthur  ceased  speaking,  Mr.  Blood  leaned  back  in 
bis  chair,  his  eyes  downcast — busy  with  his  thoughts. 

Arthur  too  much  feared  a  hasty  decision  to  be  anxious 
for  a  quick  reply,  and  quietly  waited  as  the  old  lawyer 
wrestled  with  the    knotty  problem.      At  last  Mr.   Blood 


FOILED.  317 

aroused  himself,  and  said  :  "  There  may  be  more  in  what 
you  have  said,  Axtimr,  than  you  imagine  ;  but  leave  me  to 
think  it  over,  and  I  will  tell  you  my  decision/' 

Arthur  was  much  surprised  when  he  returned  to  his 
store  to  find  Mr.  Skinner  awaiting  his  arrival, 

''  I  came,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  with  great  apparent  friendli- 
ness, "  to  see  if  I  could  not  induce  you  to  change  your  pur- 
pose in  regard  to  your  refusal  to  pay  Mrs.  Graham  this 
money,  for  it  will  cause  all  of  us  much  unnecessary  worry 
and  expense  if  we  cannot  come  to  some  just  understanding 
in  the  matter." 

''And  what  do  you  expect  me  to  do  ?"  curtly  inquired 
Arthur. 

"  Well,  if  you  would  pay  this  money  to  Mrs.  Graham, 
that  is  about  all  that  we  could  ask,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner, 
hesitatingly. 

"And  why  should  I  give  Edith's  money  to  Mrs.  Graham?  " 
inquired  Arthur. 

"  So  that  she  can  pay  the  expenses  of  the  estate,"  confi- 
dently replied  Mr.  Skinner. 

"  I  will  see  that  they  are  paid  on  this  part  of  the  prop- 
erty," replied  Arthur,  decisively,  ''and  Mrs.  Graham  can 
pay  the  other  portion." 

"  But  she  does  not  get  enough  to  pay  all  the  expenses, 
Arthur,  and  she  must  have  this." 

"  She  gets  more  than  enough  to  pay  all  legitimate  ex- 
penses," replied  Arthur,  firmly,  "  and  if  she  desires  to  hire 
lawyers  to  help  her  steal,  she  can  pay  for  their  services  as 
best  she  can,  but  Edith  will  not  give  her  money  for  any  such 
dishonorable  purpose." 


318  FOILED. 

"  You  spcuk  of  this  money  as  if  it  already  belonged  to 
your  wife/'  said  Mr.  Skinner,  carefully  feeling  his  way. 

"And  if  you  are  anything  of  a  lawyer,  you  know  that 
such  is  the  case,"  quickly  replied  Arthur. 

"  Yes,  in  one  sense,  it  does,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner  ;  "but 
Mrs.  Gruliam  is  responsible  for  it,  and  she  should  receive 
it,  and  in  the  final  settlement  she  Avill  give  it  to  your  wife." 

"  No,  thank  you,  Mr.  Skinner,  we  have  got  our  hands 
upon  it  now  and  feel  sure  of  that  much,  at  least ;  and  I 
hardly  need  tell  you  that  we  have  not  the  most  implicit 
faith  in  the  honesty  of  either  Mrs.  Graham  or  her  attor- 
ney," and  Arthur  turned  upon  his  heel  and  was  about  to 
leave  him,  when  Mr.  Skinner  placed  his  hand  ujDon  his  arm, 
and  detaining  him,  said  : 

"  Would  you  be  pleased  to  see  this  estate  remain  un- 
settled for  years,  and  Edith  kept  from  enjoying  her  share 
of  it?" 

"  No,  I  would  not,"  replied  Arthur,  positively. 

"Well,  that  is  just  what  will  happen  if  you  do  not  pay 
her  this  money,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  impressively. 

"Not  with  my  consent,"  said  Arthur,  determinedly. 

"  You  can't  help  yourself,  for  Mrs.  Graham  has  it  in  her 
power  to  do  this,  and  assures  me  that  she  will  unless  you 
turn  over  this  money  at  once." 

"  I  shall  do  all  that  I  can  to  prevent  it,  and  if  I  can- 
not, then  we  will  abide  the  consequences,"  said  Arthur, 
firmly. 

"You  are  very  unwise,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  "for  you 
compel  Mrs.  Graham  to  resort  to  very  severe  measures  ;  and 
if  she  once  determines  to  injure  you,  she  is  in  a  position  to 
make  you  feel  it." 


FOILED.  319 


"  Yon  can  tell  Mrs.  Graham  that  for  once,  at  least,  she  has 
encountered  a  will  as  strong  and  firm  as  her  own,  and  that 
her  threats  do  not  alarm  nor  her  friendship  flatter  m-e,"  re- 
plied Arthur,  as  he  coolly  turned  and  left  the  attorney. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THEN  YOU  MUST  TAKE  THE  CONSEQUENCES. 

"  The  line  of  thought  that  your  words  started,"  began 
Mr.  Blood,  as  Arthur  seated  himself  in  his  office,  "  has 
led  me  to  see  very  clearly  that  Mrs.  Graham  has  made  a 
terrible  mistake  in  claiming  this  award,  and  I  would  advise 
you  to  file  a  bill  demanding  the  division  of  this  estate, 
and  setting  forth  the  facts  of  her  taking  this  award,  and 
that  she  has  taken  it  in  opposition  to  the  expressed  desire 
of  her  husband,  and  therefore,  as  she  has  broken  her  hus- 
band's will,  she  is  only  entitled  to  her  dower  and  can  take 
only  what  the  law  gives  her ;  that,  as  she  has  no  interest  in 
the  will,  she  must  now  no  longer  obstruct  the  partition  of 
the  estate.  This  will  result  in  a  serious  loss  to  her,  or  I 
am  greatly  mistaken.''' 

"And  will  she  have  to  give  up  her  award  ?"  inquired  Ar- 
thur, delighted  at  the  prospect. 

''  Either  that  or  lose  much  more." 

"And  are  you  certain  that  one  of  these  two  will  be  the 
result  ? " 

"As  certain  as  I  can  be,"  confidently  replied  Mr.  Blood. 

"And  the  tide  has  really  turned,"  said  Arthur,  almost 
inaudibly.     "  Can  it  be  ?" 

320 


FOILED.  321 

*' Yes,"  answered  Mr.  Blood,  "it  has  been  a  long  strug- 
gle, Arthur,  but  victory  is  surely  yours.  But  conic,  this 
is  no  time  for  reveries,  now  is  the  time  to  act ;  shall  I  pre- 
pare the  papers  ?" 

"I  hardly  know,"  replied  Arthur,  lost  in  contemplation 
of  his  long  and  bitter  contest  now  so  suddenly  crowned 
with  promises  of  success — "  I  hardly  know  what  to  say. 
She  is  a  woman ;  and  while  I  admit  that  I  would  have  no 
objection  to  seeing  her  lose  it  all,  as  a  just  punishment  for 
the  pain  and  suffering  she  has  caused  Edith,  I  must  take 
no  unfair  advantage  of  her  in  any  way,  for  if  I  did  there 
would  always  be  those  who  would  cry  shame." 

'^That  is  very  pretty  in  theory,  Arthur,  but  unfortu- 
nately we  are  dealing  with  a  very  practical  woman  in  a  very 
practical  world.  She  would  not  hesitate  were  she  in  your 
place,  and  why  should  you  ?" 

"Because  she  is  a  woman,"  said  Arthur;  "  and  though  no 
one  would  censure  her  if  she  used  every  means  in  her  power 
to  gain  an  advantage  over  me,  I  must  deal  fairly  with  her." 

"  0,  a  poor,  defenseless  widow  !  Ha  !  ha  !"  chuckled  Mr. 
Blood.  "  But,  Arthur,  it  seems  to  me  that  she  makes  a 
foeman  worthy  of  your  steel." 

"  Yes,  she  would  make  me  bite  the  dust  if  she  only  had 
the  power,"  said  Arthur,  bitterly,  "and  that,  too,  without 
a  pang  of  remorse  ;  but  if  I  were  to  retaliate,  I  would  lay 
myself  liable  to  the  charge  of  cruelly  oppressing  the  defense- 
less." 

"0,  come,  now,  Arthur,  you  must  throw  off  these  feel- 
ings," said  Mr.  Blood,  appealingly.  "I  am  anxious  to  get 
at  that  Skinner  and  teach  him  some  points  of  law  that  he 

21 


322  FOILED. 

does  not  know,  and  we'll  do  it,  too,  l^efore  we  are  through 
with  him — eh,  Arthnr  !" 

"I  trust  so,"  doubtfully  replied  Arthur;  ''but  before 
we  begin  I  must  give  Mrs.  Graham  one  more  opportunity  to 
relinquish  this  award." 

"  Well,  1  think  you  waste  your  powder,  that's  all," 
retorted  Mr.  Blood,  who,  it  was  plain  to  see,  was  now  san- 
guine of  success  and  eager  for  the  fray. 

'•'I  shall  see  her  and  give  her  this  last  chance,"  said 
Arthur,  determinedly,  "  and  then  if  she  does  not  consent 
you  may  punish  her  to  the  full  extent  of  the  law.  Then  if 
the  world  objects,  I  can  at  least  feel  that  I  am  not  at  fault," 
a,nd  leaving  Mr.  Blood  he  found  his  way  to  Mrs.  Graham's 
home,  entering  which,  he  quietly  awaited  her  appearance. 

Sitting  there,  he  could  not  fail  to  recognize  many  famil- 
iar objects  that  recalled  to  his  mind  associations  that  made 
him  feel  a  sadness  that  oppressed  him  ;  and  as  he  looked 
back  over  the  many  changes  that  had  taken  jolace  since  first 
he  entered  those  doors,  it  seemed  that  in  that  short  time  he 
had  met  with  the  experiences  of  a  long  lifetime,  in  which 
joy  and  sorrow,  grief  and  care,  were  strangely  blended. 
Mrs.  Graham's  appearance  was  all  that  was  needed  to  com- 
l^lete  the  contrast  between  her  as  he  saw  her  now  and  as  she 
first  appeared  to  him  when  she  so  kindly  met  him  at  the 
door. 

"I  came,"  began  Arthur,  abruptly,  "to  ask  you  some 
|Very  pointed  but  most  important  questions  ;  you  can  answer 
them  or  not,  as  you  desire." 

"I  am,  as  I  always  have  been,  entirely  at  your  service 
when  I  can  aid  you,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  with  a  stately 
inclining  of  her  head. 


FOILED,  323 

Apparently  without  noticing  her  manner  or  words, 
Arthiir  continued  :  "I  am  desirous  of  knowing  exactly  how 
you  consider  this  award  that  you  have  taken — is  it  your  in- 
tention to  take  it  as  a  loan,  and  in  the  final  settlement 
have  it  deducted  from  your  share  of  the  estate  ?" 

All  the  force  and  hatred  of  Mrs.  Graham's  nature  seemed 
concentrated  in  the  look  that  she  turned  upon  Arthur, 
as  for  a  moment  she  fiercely  glared  at  him,  and  then, 
firmly  compressing  her  lips,  answered.: 

"Under  no  circumstances." 

"Do  you  believe  that  father  Graham  intended  that  you 
should  take  more  than  he  gave  you  in  the  will  ?" 

"That  makes  no  difl:erence,"  declared  Mrs.  Graham,  pas- 
sionately ;  the  law  gives  it  to  me  and  I  will  have  it !" 

"Do  you  intend  to  take  this  award  in  excess  of  what  the 
will  gives  you  ?" 

"I  do!" 

"  Then,  Mrs.  Graham,  you  must  take  the  consequences," 
said  Arthur,  resolutely.      "I  will  bid  you  good-day." 

Had  Arthur  shov/n  more  concern  in  her  rej^lies,  or  urged 
her  to  change  her  course,  Mrs.  Graham  would  more  easily 
have  understood  his  purpose,  and  his  last  words  would 
not  have  carried  so  ominous  a  meaning.  As  it  was,  she 
found  herself  after  his  departure  in  a  most  uncomfort- 
able frame  of  mind.  "If  he  intends  this  as  a  threat," 
muttered  Mrs.  Graham,  when  the  door  closed  upon  him, 
"he  may  well  be  mysterious  and  fear  my  wrath,  for  I  still 
hold  possession  of  the  property  and  to  me  he  must  come  at 
last  ;  and  even  though  I  wreck  the  whole  estate,  he  shall 
come.     But  no,  it  hardly  seemed  like  threatening,  he  was 


324  FOILED. 

too  sad  for  that.  And,  bye  the  bye,  he  is  showing  the 
effect  of  all  this  care  and  worry.  Fool  that  he  is,  why  does 
he  rebel— why  could  he  not  have  told  me  more  of  his  plans  ? 
0,  I  feel  an  uneasiness  that  I  cannot  dispel.  I  am  sure  he 
means  to  do  me  some  harm,  and  I  must  watch  him  more 
closely  from  now  to  the  end." 

''You  may  draw  up  the  papers,  Mr.  Blood,"  said  Arthur, 
as  he  entered  his  office  and  wearily  seated  himself.  ''  I  have 
seen  her,  and  she  leaves  no  doubt  in  my  mind  of  her  inten- 
tions." 

'•Just  as  I  thought,"  replied  Mr.  Blood,  sententiously. 
"  You  will  have  to  conquer  her  before  you  will  have  peace." 

"I  am  afraid  there  will  be  more  pieces  than  peace," 
replied  Arthur. 

Mr.  Blood  carefully  prepared  the  papers,  and  after  filing 
them  in  court  quietly  awaited  their  effect  upon  the  enemy. 

When  Mr.  Skinner  saw  them,  he  hastily  summoned  Mrs. 
Graham,  and  motioning  her  to  a  seat,  said  : 

"I  find  that  Mr.  Blood  is  making  a  desperate  effort  to 
defeat  you  in  the  courts.  He  has  just  filed  a  bill  in  which 
it  is  claimed  that  you  have  rejected  the  will,  and  now  can 
take  only  what  the  law  gives  yon." 

"But  I  have  not  rejected  the  will,"  said  Mrs.  G-raham, 
indignantly.  "I  am  perfectly  willing  to  take  what  the 
will  gives  me,  and  always  have  been." 

"  0,  you  need  feel  no  worry  about  it,"  hastily  replied 
Mr.  Skinner.  "  I  only  wanted  to  know  if  I  should  defend 
the  suit." 

"  Certainly.  You  must  not  only  defend  it,  but  you  must 
defeat  them,  if  you  can." 


FOILED.  325 

"0,  it  will  be  no  trouble  to  do  that/'  replied  Mr.  Skin- 
ner, confidently  ;  ''  they  cannot  possibly  succeed." 

"  But  this  is  what  you  said  when  they  opposed  my  tak- 
ing the  award/'  persisted  Mrs.  Graham;  '^ but  notwith- 
standing your  assurances,  they  did  defeat  us,  at  least  in 
part,  and  your  only  excuse  has  been  that  you  did  not  antic- 
ipate so  strong  an  opposition.  I  feel  certain  that  Arthur 
has  not  consented  to  begin  this  suit  until  he  was  fully  as- 
sured that  he  had  some  hope  for  success  ;  and  this  explains 
his  firmness  and  seeming  confidence  when  he  called  at  my 
house  and  asked  me  if  I  intended  to  give  up  my  award,  and 
when  I  told  him  that  I  did  not,  he  said  that  I  must  take 
the  consequences." 

"  0,  that  was  only  an  idle  threat,  Mrs.  Graham,  You 
need  have  no  fear  of  anything  that  he  can  do,"    . 

*' No,  it  was  not  a  threat,"  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  posi- 
tively, "  I  was  inclined  to  think  so  at  first,  but  I  now  be- 
lieve it  to  have  been  a  last  effort  to  induce  me  to  give  up 
this  award  before  he  began  this  suit." 

"  Well,  they  die  hard,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  musingly, 
"  but  they  will  have  to  come  to  it  in  the  end," 

Notwithstanding  Mr.  Skinner's  assurances  of  safety  were 
oft  repeated,  they  failed  to  convince  her ;  and  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham's sense  of  guilt  and  knowledge  that  the  charges  made 
against  her  were  only  too  true,  made  her  fear  the  result, 
and  she  vainly  sought  for  some*  evidence  upon  which  she 
might  depend. 

"lam  far  from  being  convinced,"  said  Mrs.  Graham, 
•  despond ingly.  "It  seems  to  me  that  we  are  in  great 
danger." 


326  FOILED, 

"Let  me  show  you  tlie  law  on  this  point,"  said  Mr. 
Skinner,  ''for  it  is  very  plain,  and  will  no  doubt  quiet 
your  fears.  There  it  is,"  and  Mr.  Skinner  handed  her  the 
volume,  and  with  his  finger  indicated  the  important  clause. 

"  That  seems  plain  enough,'^  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  as 
she  closed  the  book  and  laid  it  upon  the  desk  :  "  but  don't 
you  think  I  had  better  give  up  this  award  and  not  run  this 
risk  ?" 

"It  would  only  show  that  you  were  fearful  of  the 
result,"  said  Mr.  Skinner,  petulantly,  "  and  could  do 
no  possible  good.  I  tell  you  that  there  is  no  chance  for  his 
succeeding,  and  you  might  as  well  keep  all  you  have  as  to 
give  it  up  now." 

"  I  would  not  consent  to  give  it  up  if  I  felt  certain  he 
could  not  succeed,"  replied  Mrs,  G-raham,  earnestly, 

"  Well,  I  advise  you  to  keep  it,  that's  all,"  said  Mr. 
Skinner,  provoked  at  her  unbelief, 

"  If  we  have  reason  to  be  so  sure  of  success,  what  can 
Arthur  hope  to  gain  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Graham,  anxiously. 

"  He  is  playing  for  a  big  stake  this  time,  Mrs.  Graham," 
replied  Mr,  Skinner,  impressively.  "It  will  be  no  child's 
play  for  either  of  us,  but  the  result  is  assured  before  we 
begin," 

"But  if  he  should  succeed,  what  benefit  would  he  derive 
from  all  this  care  and  expense  ?"  urged  Mrs,  Graham, 

"  But  he  cannot  succeed^ — there  is  no  chance  for  him. 
The  law  is  clearly  and  distinctly  against  him,  and  he  has 
not  the  shadow  of  a  chance  upon  which  to  build  a  hope." 

"But  if  he  should,"  persisted  Mrs,  Graham,  "what 
could  he  gain  ?" 


FOILED.  327 

"If  by  auy  possibility  he  should  defeat  you,  you  would 
not  get  enough  to  be  worth  fighting  for,"  replied  Mr. 
Skinner,  impressively.  ''  But,  Mrs.  Graham,  you  need 
have  no  fear  of  that." 

But  Mrs.  Graham  did  fear  it,  and  many  were  the  times 
when,  lost  in  contemplation  of  what  the  future  might  have 
in  store  for  her,  she  writhed  in  agony  at  the  thought. 

Had  she  been  able  to  grasp  the  invisible  foe  and  test  his 
strength,  she  would  not  have  faltered  for  a  moment ;  but 
the  calm,  firm  resistance  that  she  was  being  met  witli  was 
maddening. 


CHAPTER  XXm. 

FOILED. 

Mrs.  Granam  had  dallied  with  the  law  as  a  child  plays 
with  fire — charmed  by  its  brilliancy  and  power.  Never 
having  experienced  the  pain  that  it  was  able  to  inflict,  she 
was  fearless  in  its  handling,  until  in  terror  she  now  saw  the 
harmless  plaything  spring  suddenly  into  a  raging  conflagra- 
tion that  threatened  to  destroy  her  hopes  and  turn  them 
into  ashes  of  agonizing  despair.  Far  too  shrewd  a  woman  of 
the  world  was  she  to  idly  fold  her  hands  in  imagined  safety 
while  a  doubt  remained  as  to  the  security  of  her  position. 
Though  oft  repeated,  Mr.  Skinner's  assurances  of  victory 
could  not  remove  her  doubts.  The  very  thought  that 
Arthur  might  be  able  to  defeat  her,  and  all  that  she  had 
planned  these  many  years  to  possess  might  be  swept  from 
her  sight  and  beyond  all  hope  of  recovery,  was  torture  to 
her  mind  ;  and  in  the  short  time  between  the  filing  of  the 
papers  and  the  day  for  hearing  of  the  case  in  court,  Mrs. 
Graham  almost  experienced  the  tortures  of  the  damned  ; 
and  as  Arthur,  filled  with  anxiety  and  doubt  for  the  result, 
entered  the  court  room,  he  could  not  fail  to  notice  the 
change  in  her  appearance.  But  if  he  hoped  that  she  would 
be  easily  conquered,  he  was  destined  to  meet  with  disap- 

328 


FOILED.  329 

pointmeut  ;  for  as  privation  makes  the  lean  and  hungry 
tigress  ten-fold  more  ferocious,  so  Mrs.  G-raham's  hatred 
had  only  been  intensified  during  these  days  of  anxiety  and 
doubt.  But  during  all  these  days  she  had  never  once 
thought  of  yielding  ;  had  she  done  so,  no  doubt  she  would 
have  spurned  the  thought  almost  before  it  gathered  form. 
ISTo,  the  same  unpitying  hand  that  he  would  feel  if  she  were 
victor,  would  be  as  firmly  put  forth  to  stay  her  from 
supplicating  mercy  or  making  an  appeal  for  aid.  This 
Arthur  quickly  realized  as  he  recognized  the  quick,  pene- 
trating glance  of  defiant  hatred  with  which  her  eyes  met 
his  as  he  seated  himself  near  Mr.  Blood. 

Mr.  Skinner  laughed  and  chatted  with  the  attorneys  who 
were  near  him,  and  was  so  confident  of  success  as  to  be  en- 
tirely indifferent  to  the  importance  of  the  case  ;  while  Mr. 
Blood  sat  with  thoughtful  brow,  silent  and  alone.  But  the 
entrance  of  the  court  quickly  aroused  him,  and  when  Mr. 
Skinner  arose,  he  was  on  the  alert  to  catch  and  carefully 
weigh  every  word  he  uttered. 

''  In  this  case,"  began  Mr.  Skinner,  airily,  '''the  plaintiff, 
Edith  Howard,  feels  aggrieved  because  the  widow  of  Stewart 
Graham  has  taken  her  award,  and  files  this  bill  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  the  decision  of  the  court  as  to  the  widow's 
title  to  it.  This  is  an  expensive  and  very  troublesome  way 
of  settling  a  trivial  question,  that  could  easily  have  been 
decided  if  she  had  sought  good  counsel  and  advice,  and 
would  not  have  taken  the  valuable  time  of  the  court  for  its 
hearing.  I  am  surprised  that  her  attorney  should  allow 
her  to  take  this  course,  or  consent  to  draw  or  file  so  non- 
sensical a  bill  as  this  that  is  now  presented  for  your  consid- 


330  FOILED. 

eration.  I  can  only  account  for  it  by  supposing  that  he  is 
not  acquainted  with  or  does  not  comprehend  that  well- 
known  statute  that  we  naturally  expect  the  merest  tyro  in 
law  to  be  fully  conversant  with^  and  for  his  information  I 
will  read  it  as  it  is  found  in  the  revised  statutes,  chapter  3, 
page  113,  and  paragraph  74  :  '  Whether  her  husband  died 
testate  or  intestate,  the  widow  shall  in  all  cases,  in  exclu- 
sion of  debts,  legacies  and  bequests,  be  allowed  the  follow- 
ing described  property  *  *  *  as  her  sole  and  exclusive 
property  forever,  which  shall  be  known  as  the  widow's 
award.' 

"Now,  your  Honor,  until  this  statute  is  repealed  or  mod- 
ified, I  can  see  no  reason  why  I  should  take  the  time  and 
attention  of  the  court  in  advancing  arguments  in  favor  of 
the  widow's  right  to  her  award,  and  I  feel  called  upon  to 
demand  that  this  case  be  thrown  out  of  court  as  too  trivial 
and  childish  in  its  character  to  merit  your  attention,  and 
that  this  widow  shall  be  relieved  from  the  necessity  of  a 
further  defense  of  her  right  to  take  her  award. " 

The  uneasiness  manifested  by  the  court  gave  certain  evi- 
dence that  he  was  wearied  by  the  prospect  of  having  to  listen 
to  Mr.  Blood's  arguments  upon  a  point  of  law  concerning 
which  his  decision  had  already  been  made,  and  impatient  at 
the  thought  that  such  well  recognized  rulings  should  again 
be  brought  in  question.  Against  such  odds  Mr.  Blood's 
arguments  seemed  certain  to  be  unavailing. 

As  Mr.  Skinner  seated  himself  with  a  satisfied  air,  Mr. 
Blood  arose  with  the  quiet  composure  of  the  old  and  well- 
seasoned  veteran  who,  sure  of  his  jDosition,  willingly  abides 
his  time,  and  addressing  the  Judge,  said  :  ''With  all  that 


FOILED.  331 

the  attorney  who  represents  the  defendant  has  said  in  regard 
to  the  law  that  bears  upon  this  case  I  fully  agree.     I  would 
not  take  one  argument  away  from  those  presented  by  him. 
But  while  he  has  left  them  half  formed  and  uncertain  in 
their  bearing,  I  desire  to  co,rry  them  to  their  logical  con- 
clusion, and  show  to  the  court  that  for  years  the  decisions 
on  this  point  have  been  one-sided  and  yery  unjust.     Let  us 
in  this  case  view  both  sides  of  the  matter  and  see  if  we  can- 
not come  to  a  more  just  decision.     The  opposing  attorney 
states  his  case,  which  in  substance  is,  that  with  or  without 
a  will  the  widow  shall  have  her  award.     All  right ;  we  agree 
to  that ;  and  now  say  that  in  this  case  if,  after  weighing 
the  value  of  what  the  will  gives  her,  she  finds  that  it  does 
not  suit  her  and  decides  to  take  this  award,  she  can  only  do 
so  by  giving  up  the  will  and  accepting  what  the  law  gives 
her.     This  is  her  privilege,  and  is  what  is  intended  by  the 
statute  when  it  says,  in  effect,  that  an  unjust  will  shall  not 
deprive  her  of  her  award.     But  the  justice  that  protects 
her  against  an  unjust  will  also  protects  the  daughter  against 
an  unjust  and  grasping  widow  ;  and  while  a  widow  cannot 
be  forced   to  give  u}:)  her  award,  she  is  forced  to  decide 
which  she  will  accept ;  for  it  is  not  her  right  to  take  so 
much  under  the  law  as  is  to  her  advantage  and  at  the  same 
time  take  all  that  the  will  gives  her.     If  she  accepts  the 
will  of  her  husband  she  must  abide  by  its  conditions  ;  and 
as  this  widow  by  taking  her  award  has  refused  to  accept 
the  will,  it  operates  as  a  bar  to  her  acceptance  of  any  part 
of  it.     Therefore,  so  far  as  Sarah  J.  G-raham  is  concerned, 
she  has  no  interest  in  the  will,  and  is  not  in  a  jiosition  to 
farther  obstruct  or  delay  a  partition  of  the  property.    This, 


332  FOILED. 

your  Honor,  is  law,  and  that,  too,  the  very  best,  for  it  is 
supported  by  all  that  is  just  and  right. 

The  court  had  lost  his  uneasiness,  and  was  now  earnestly 
attentive.  He  was  evidently  hearing  something  new  and 
strange,  as  he  leaned  forward  eagerly  devouring  every  word 
as  it  fell  with  clear,  deliberate  intonations  from  the  lips  of 
Mr.  Blood. 

Mr.  Skinner  presented  a  pitiable  picture  as  he  sat  in  a 
state  of  doubt  and  uncertainty,  while  Mr.  Blood,  seemingly 
grown  in  stature,  towered  above  him  like  an  avenging  con- 
queror, as  he  thundered  forth  his  powerful  arguments.  And 
it  was  apparent  that  Mr.  Blood  fully  realized  the  exalted  posi- 
tion to  which  he  had  attained,  where  he  was  not  alone  the 
victor,  but  the  instructor  of  the  Judge  uj^on  the  bench  ;  and 
as  he  sank  into  his  seat  and  received  the  congratulations  of 
his  brother  attorneys  who  had  happily  been  detained,  his 
eyes  shone  with  the  intensity  of  his  realization  of  his  great 
victory. 

After  some  moments  sjDent  in  silent  deliberation,  the 
Judge  arose,  saying  :  "  I  am  satisfied  that  a  widow  must 
decide  which  course  she  will  pursue,  whether  to  abide  by 
the  will  and  give  up  all  that  she  would  otherwise  receive  by 
law,  or  give  uj^i  the  will  and  receive  what  the  law  says  shall 
be  hers.  This  I  am  satisfied  is  good  law  and  perfectly  just. 
Its  application  to  this  case  must  be  that,  as  the  widow  has 
already  taken  under  the  law,  she  must  abide  by  the  result 
and  give  up  all  the  benefits  of  the  will.  This  is  my  de- 
cision." 

'*'But,  your  Honor,'' said  Mr.  Skinner,  jumping  to  his 
feet,  excitedly,  "^do  you  realize  the  terrible  penalty  this 


FOILED.  333 

would  inflict  upon  my  client,  and  tliis,  too,  when  she  has 
done  no  more  than  ever^'  other  person  i^laced  in  the  same 
position  has  done,  and  all  in  strict  conformity  to  the  rul- 
ings of  our  courts  for  liundreds  of  years  ?"' 

"  I  hesitated,"  replied  the  Judge,  '^  on  only  that  one  point. 
I  know  this  decision  is  the  first  of  its  kind,  and  I  hesitated 
to  inflict  this  punishment,  fearing  that  it  might  be  unjust ; 
but  now  it  is  clear  to  my  mind  that  the  widow  fully  under- 
stood the  wishes  of  her  husband  as  expressed  in  his  will 
when  he  inserted  the  clause,  '  in  lieu  of  all  claims  that  she 
may  or  might  have  in  and  to  my  estate ; '  and  if  with  this 
understanding  she  decided  to  take  her  award  in  excess  of 
what  the  will  gave  her,  simply  because  she  believed  the 
law  gave  it  to  her,  she  must  not  now  complain  if  the  law 
takes  its  course."' 

"Will  the  court  enter  an  order  that  the  estate  be  divided 
in  accordance  with  this  decision,  and  the  daughter  be 
placed  in  possession  of  her  property  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Blood, 
as  calmly  as  if  the  victory  had  been  less  complete. 

'^'' Yes,  the  court  will  so  direct." 

Mr.  Blood,  with  a  satisfied  smile,  gathered  his  papers 
together,  and  with  Arthur  silently  left  the  room,  while 
Mr.  Skinner,  sorrowfully  turning  to  Mrs.  Graham,  said  : 

"  We  are  beaten  ;  our  jilans  have  utterly  failed." 

For  a  moment  Mrs.  Graham  made  no  reply  ;  she  was  too 
nearly  overcome  by  the  force  of  the  blow,  though  not  en- 
tirely unprepared.  The  wound  had  been  too  deejoly  cut, 
the  pain  too  sharp  and  keen,  for  her  to  feel  resentment  or 
anger.  After  a  raj)id  glance  at  the  changes  that  the  deci- 
sion would  make  with  her,  she  turned  to  Mr.  Skinner  and 
mournfullv  said  : 


334  FOILED. 

''  It  is  all  because  Edith  emiDloyed  a  lawyer.  If  she  had 
not  done  that,  we  would  have  Ijeen  safe." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Skinner,  "  we  have  been  foiled  by 

A  LAWYER  I" 

'■'  I  wish  now  that  I  had  never  taken  that  award,"  said 
Mrs.  Graham,  sadly,  "^it  has  cost  me  too  dearly." 

"  It  would  have  saved  you  from  this  defeat,"  said  Mr. 
Skinner.  "  But  no  one  ever  thought  of  interpreting  the 
law  in  the  way  that  Mr.  Blood  has  done,  and  I  feel  that  the 
judge  would  have  decided  in  our  favor  if  it  had  not  been 
for  that.  But  it  seems  to  be  unjust  that  you  should  be  the 
one  upon  whom  the  whole  force  of  the  law  should  fall  witli 
such  crushing  weight." 

"  Yes,"  sorrowfully  replied  Mrs.  Graham,  "  I  seem  to 
be  the  one  who  must  always  suffer  for  the  errors  that  others 
have  committed." 

When  Arthur  stepped  from  the  court  room  into  the  sun- 
shine of  the  open  day,  he  began  to  realize  the  completeness 
and  certainty  of  his  victory,  and  felt  the  quiet  joy  stealing- 
over  him  that  one  must  feel  who  is  suddenly  liberated  from  a 
dark  and  dismal  prison  cell  and  again  feels  the  pleasure  of  be- 
iug  free.  But  his  anxiety  had  been  too  great  for  him  to  out- 
wardly express  his  joy,  as  with  a  light  heart  he  sought 
Edith,  to  whom,  as  she  opened  the  door,  he  said  : 

"  We  are  the  victors,  Edith,  and  the  contest  is  over." 

'••'  Are  we  entirely  free  from  Mrs.  Graliam  ?"  inquired 
Edith,  hardly  able  as  yet  to  believe  the  truth. 

''Yes,"  replied  Arthur,  joyfully,  '"'we  are  completely 
,  separated  from  her,  and  she  can  dictate  terms  to  us  no 
longer.  For  as  Mr.  Blood  said  she  would,  she  has  grasped 
more  than  she  could  retain,  and  has  paid  the  penalty." 


FOILED.  335 

"  She  must  have  found  that  she  was  accouutable  to  more 
than  her  God  and  the  judge,"  said  Edith,  hiughing. 

^'' Yes,  and  she  has  learned  a  good  many  lessons  since  she 
made  that  foolish  boast.  And  now,  Edith,  since  we  are  so 
far  separated  from  her  let  us  make  it  complete,  and  let  her 
drop  out  of  our  life  and  thoughts." 

'''And  never  speak  her  name  again,"  added  Edith, 

•'Yes,  that  is  a  good  suggestion,"  said  Arthur.  ''We 
will  never  speak  her  name  again. " 

"  Never  !''  said  Edith,  firmly. 

And  in  a  short  time  after  their  last  contest  in  court 
Artliur  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Edith  in  possession  of 
her  property,  and  completely  and  forever  separated  from 
the  evil  influence  that  had  followed  her  during  the  many 
years  since  Mrs.  Graham's  first  appearance  in  her  home. 

To  them  Mrs.  Graham  was  now  as  if  she  had  never  been, 
— the  blotting  of  her  name  and  memory  from  out  their 
lives  was  complete.     A  fitting  end  for  such  a  life. 

Arthur  and  Editli  had  seen  too  much  of  the  hollow 
mockery  of  so-called  friendships  that  are  founded  upon  the 
unstable  and  insecure  foundation  of  selfishness  and  worldly 
pride,  and  willingly  passed  over  that  dark  chasm  that  often 
makes  us  falter  and  grow  pale  as  we  contemplate  its  hollow 
depths.  The  experiences  they  had  met  with  carried  them 
above  and  beyond  its  influence,  leaving  them  Avell  content 
in  the  possession  of  the  friendshij:)  of  those  who  had  ju'oved 
themselves  true  friends  in  their  time  of  need.  These  friends 
were  kept  in  fond  remembrance  by  them  through  all  the 
many  years  of  quiet,  peaceful  happiness  that  followed. 

Mrs.  Graham  left  the  court  room  entirclv  overcome  Ijv  the 


336  FOILED. 

completeness  of  her  OTerthrow.  To  her  the  world  seemed 
dark  and  cheerless  now,  and  all  her  plans  seemed  hopelessly 
crushed  by  the  decision  of  the  court.  She  grew  distrustful 
of  even  her  closest  friends,  as  silent  and  alone  she  sat  in 
her  desolate  home  and  contemplated  the  wreck  that  lay 
about  her. 

What  were  friends  to  her  now,  since  that  which  she  loved 
more  than  they  was  lost  to  her  forever  !  What  comfort  in 
the  thought  that  Edith's  life  had  been  made  miserable  by 
reason  of  her  acts,  now  that  Edith  was  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  her  folly  !  What  comfort  could  she  derive  from  the 
thought  that  the  relatives  had  always  supported  her  in  all 
that  she  did,  now  that  she  had  lost  all  ! 

Though  beaten,  foiled  and  desperate,  Mrs.  Graham  had 
one  hope  left.  The  property  belonging  to  the  relatives 
still  remained  in  her  charge,  for  her,  as  executrix,  to  ap- 
portion ;  and  now  that  Arthur's  prying  eyes  were  removed, 
she  felt  secure  in  carrying  out  her  long  deferred  plan 
of  robbery  ;  and  turning  upon  their  portion,  she,  with 
Mr.  Skinner's  aid,  was  at  last  successful  in  taking  from 
them  by  far  the  largest  part  of  that  which  had  been  left 
them  by  the  will,  so  that  when  aunt  Lucy  received  the  por- 
tion allotted  to  her  by  Mrs.  Graham,  its  diminished  pro- 
portions made  her  wonder  that  so  much  strife  and  trouble 
had  taken  place  over  so  small  an  estate  ;  and  though  Web- 
ster received  much  less  than  was  his  due,  his  confidence  in 
Mrs.  Graham  remained  unshaken. 

Though  still  angered  at  her  defeat  and  the  loss  of  her 
share  of  the  estate,  Mrs.  Graham  now  felt  that  she  had 
gained  her  full  proportion,  as,  in  truth,  she  had.     But  in 


FOILED.  337 

her  attempts  to  take  what  belonged  to  others,  she  had 
found  it  necessary  to  gather  about  her  those  counsellors 
who,  having  no  scruples  against  advising  her  to  acts  of 
robbery,  did  not  hesitate  to  turn  upon  her  and  make  her 
the  victim  of  their  greed  ;  so  that  one  misfortune  quickly 
following  another,  it  was  not  long  before  she  saw  by  far  the 
larger  portion  of  her  ill-gotten  wealth  sink  and  disappear, 
until  in  the  commercial  crisis  tluit  shortly  afterward  swept 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  her  strained  and  weather- 
beaten  craft  went  down  with  many  a  nobler  one  for  com- 
pany, and  she  was  left  a  shipwrecked  mariner  on  the  finan- 
cial seas,  deserted  by  those  she  had  counted  as  her  friends  ; 
until,  with  old  age  creeping  on  apace,  desolate  and  alone — 

"One  sole  desire,  one  passion  now  remains 
To  keep  life's  fever  stiir within  her  veins, 
Vengeance!  dire  vengeance  on  the  wretch  who  east 

O'er  her  and  all  she  loved  that  rviinons  blast. 
For  this  she  still  lives  on,  careless  of  all 

The  wreaths  that  glory  on  his  paths  lets  fall. 
For  this  alone  exists — like  lightning's  fire, 
To  speed  one  bolt  of  vengeance  and  etspire." 

— MoORE. 


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